Meant to Be
by shli
Summary: A House and Cameron fanfic because regardless of what the antishippers say, House and Cameron are meant to be together. For romantic souls and fellow HouseCam lovers.
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers:** There are a few references here and there to certain Season 2 episodes. On the safe side: don't read if you haven't gotten to "Who's Your Daddy?"

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _House_ or any of its characters.

* * *

_Cameron._

She couldn't understand why he continued to call her that. You would think that after sleeping together, they'd at least be on a first-name basis.

_Dr. Cameron!_

Well, that was worse than just "Cameron." Their relationship was already taking a turn for the worse and it had just begun.

Suddenly, Cameron was jerked awake as House used his cane to push her out of her chair. She shook her head and blinked her eyes, forcing herself to wake up. Letting out a large yawn, she stretched her arms high above her head, drawing House's attention to her midriff as her shirt lifted. He quickly glanced back up to her face. Cameron didn't notice as she slowly got herself up on her feet.

"A bit slow today, aren't we?" House asked. "What? Another late night with the pretty boy Dr. Chase?"

"No," Cameron replied, not giving anything away.

"'No' as in not with Chase or 'no' as in you didn't sleep with someone?"

"Just 'no.'" In truth, she had stayed up all night with a really good book called The Gun Seller. But, House didn't need to know that.

Cameron looked up at House and gestured for him to move out of her doorway so that she could follow. She came into the conference room and saw the empty chairs.

"Where is everyone?" Cameron asked.

"Off doing their jobs unlike someone I know."

"Who's the patient?"

"No one. Can't you see the empty board? People are just so healthy these days. It's a miracle! That little 'faith healer' kid has been doing overtime."

Cameron scoffed at his sarcasm. "I thought you said that Chase and Foreman were doing their jobs."

"They are. They're doing my clinic hours. I saved the mail and paperwork just for you."

"Thanks," she replied sarcastically. "I'll get right on it after I get something to eat. I don't think the mail will go anywhere."

House watched as she grabbed a couple bills from her wallet and walked towards the elevators. After she was out of his line of vision, he limped backed towards his office. Easing himself into his chair, he let out a sigh. His leg had been hurting more than usual for some reason—a reason that he didn't care to delve into, regardless of Wilson's many attempts in trying to get House to admit that he was suffering emotionally. Uncapping his trusty Vicodin bottle, he shook out two pills and popped them into his mouth as though they were candy.

When he had seen Cameron asleep in her office this morning, he had hesitated in waking her up. He had given Chase and Foreman some lie he couldn't remember when they had asked him of her whereabouts. Everybody lied—him included. He probably could've given a better one, but seeing Cameron with her guard down was such a rare sight nowadays that it left him a bit distracted. It was getting harder and harder to read her. His own fault, he supposed, for he had been hard on her ever since their first official date.

But he had had to wake her. No way in hell did he want to get caught staring at her; and with glass walls, it was almost for certain that he would have been caught sooner or later. Once she was awake, he couldn't let her see her effect on him; so, he reverted back to his sarcastic self. He didn't know why he had suggested Chase as the cause of her fatigue, considering he already knew the answer to that; all he knew was that he couldn't stand not being able to see into her thoughts. Plus, he wanted to know if she still had feelings for him by seeing if she would intentionally try to make him jealous. He had given her the perfect setup, but she hadn't taken the bait.

"Hey!" Wilson yelled, jerking House out of his thoughts of this morning's encounter with Cameron. "You want to grab something to eat from the cafeteria?"

House glanced at the clock. Two hours. He had been thinking about Cameron for two hours. Not a good sign, especially since he hadn't realized it was already lunchtime. He turned his attention back to Wilson.

"What? Cafeteria food? I thought the agreement was that you would repay me for letting you live with me with home-cooked meals. Surely you remember."

"Very funny. Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. You're paying."

"Don't I always?"

"Just reminding you. Don't want you forgetting your place, now."

Wilson smirked in response, too used to House's sarcasm to take offense. When he had first come into House's office, he had noticed that House was deep in thought. Since there wasn't a new patient, House obviously hadn't been thinking intently about some medical puzzle. He mentally shrugged, knowing full well that he could probably pry it out of him later while they were eating.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you see Cameron this morning?" Foreman asked Chase as the two ate together in the cafeteria.

"No. House said that Cameron hadn't gotten in yet."

"And you believed him?"

"Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"Geez, Chase. Are you really that naïve? When has Cameron ever missed a day of work? Even when she was nauseous from her medication during her HIV scare, she still came in and worked. He was lying…but what I can't figure out is why."

"Why don't you just ask him, if you're so curious?" Chase replied, slightly angry for being called naïve. "He's sitting right there with Wilson." He pointed in House's direction as he and Wilson walked towards a table behind Foreman.

Wilson and House were now eating in silence as Wilson was trying to figure out who was making House so distracted. House, in return, was pretending to be completely engrossed with sandwich and doing his best to ignore Wilson's inquiring look.

"House!" Foreman called, as he and Chase came to their table. "Tell me, where _was _Cameron this morning? Truthfully."

"Cameron!" Wilson exclaimed. "That's who has you so distracted. I knew it! You still have feelings for her!" He excitedly pumped his fist in the air, victorious in discovering House's secret. People from the other tables looked curiously at the four men. House glared at the onlookers until they turned away and returned to their conversations.

"What do you mean 'still'? I don't remember ever saying that I had feelings for her in the first place," House replied defensively.

"Wait. You like Cameron?" Foreman asked. "I thought that the you-and-Cameron thing was over ever since your date. Not to mention the fact that you slept with Stacy, too, before driving her away."

"Foreman, I didn't know you cared so much about my love life. Jealous that I'm getting some and you're not? If you ask real nicely, I'll give you the number of a 'working girl' I know."

Foreman ignored the jab at his recent lack of women and responded, "I said this before and I'll it again: don't mess with her. Some relationships aren't meant to be."

"Cameron called you a 'selfish jerk' and you still want to stand up for her?"

"She was right…but you still haven't agreed to stay away from her."

"I didn't know I had to ask your permission to _do_ anything. Wait a minute, I don't. I'm _your _boss. Now, go do your job, homie, or I'll tell on you."

Foreman gave House a look of exasperation and, knowing that House would not take him seriously, let the issue go. Chase looked at House, completely clueless of whose side to take, before finally following Foreman out of the cafeteria.

After the two had left, Wilson went back to his prying. "So, you do still like Cameron, don't you?" Wilson asked with a smile. "Too bad she won't let you walk all over her anymore. You're actually going to have to make an effort in order to win her over. Ha, I can't wait to see you grovel."

"Shut up. I'm not going to do anything. When you can stop grinning like an idiot, I'll be hiding from Cuddy," House said, grabbing his cane and the last of his Reuben sandwich before heading towards his office to play with his Gameboy.

* * *

Cameron was sitting in Exam Room One when Cuddy walked in.

"Sorry, I was looking for House," Cuddy said upon seeing Cameron.

"Did you really think he'd be here if he didn't have to be?"

"Who knows where he's hiding these days? If you see him, tell him to come into my office. He's not answering his pager or his cell phone."

"He's probably busy trying to get a high score on his Gameboy…but I will."

"Thanks," Cuddy turned to leave but stopped. Facing back towards Cameron, she asked, "What are you doing here by yourself? It's lunchtime."

"Just wanted to be by myself for a moment. The boys can get annoying after a while."

"Ahh. So you're not just avoiding House?"

"Why would I do that?" Cameron asked, tensing up.

"I don't know, but rumor has it that House caught you sleeping this morning."

Cameron relaxed. "Oh, that. No, I'm not avoiding him."

"Okay, then. If you see him, send him down."

"I will."

Cuddy opened her mouth as if to ask another question but decided against it. She left the exam room, full of questions about what was going on between Cameron and House.

Cameron waited until Cuddy had left before taking out the letter from Sebastian Charles, who wanted to know if they could go out to dinner while he was in town for the refill of his TB medication tomorrow. She had found the letter in the pile of mail stacked on House's desk while she was sorting through it. _It's a good thing I got to the mail before House did, or he'd have read it first because obviously, House doesn't have a problem with reading mail addressed to me_, she thought, remembering how House had opened her HIV results letter. She hadn't thought of Sebastian in a long time and didn't know whether or not she should go out with him. There was still no future for them: him being in Africa and her in New Jersey. _Oh, what harm can one dinner date do? I'll give him a call later_, she decided, tucking the letter back in her lab coat pocket, and headed upstairs towards House's office to give him Cuddy's message.


	3. Chapter 3

House indeed was playing on his Gameboy as Cameron walked into his office.

"Cuddy needs you in her office, House."

"That woman just can't get enough of my loving," House replied, all the while his eyes glued to the Gameboy screen.

Cameron laughed. "Yes, well. Your _mistress_ demands your presence as soon as possible. Pause your game and get it over with."

"Yes, mommy dearest." House paused his game and set it on his desk. He knew that Cuddy needed him to inject her with the fertility meds again. "Don't touch my game…I'll be back," he said, imitating Arnold from _The Terminator_.

"Yes, sir." Cameron saluted House as he left the room. Waiting until he was out of sight, she took her cell phone out of her bag and called the number Sebastian had given in the letter. She was about to press "send" when she hesitated. _What will I say? I don't want to give him the wrong idea. This will just be a friendly dinner between a doctor and a former patient. Nothing more. Plus, I _did_ give his foundation that check a couple months back. Don't be a wimp. Just call._ Several moments later, she finally prepared herself on what to say should Sebastian pick up. She sat in her chair, her back facing the door, and pressed "send." Thankfully, his phone was off, and Cameron gave a sigh of relief as she waited for the beep. After she heard it, she said, "Hi Sebastian, it's Dr. Cameron…Umm, Allison. I guess you're on the plane right now. Anyways, I just wanted to give you a call and let you know that I would love to have dinner with you tomorrow. I know you have to fly out later that night, so I'll meet you at the restaurant after work…say, around 6:30? Just let me know where when you come and pick up your medication. So, it was great hearing from you. Thanks for the letter, and I'll see you soon." She hung up and sat there, tapping the antennae of her cell phone against her chin, lost in thought.

"You know, I don't pay you to sit there and do nothing. Only _I_ get to do that," House remarked from the doorway.

Cameron hurriedly swirled her chair around to face him, her cheeks slightly flushed. She couldn't tell if he had overheard her call to Sebastian. "Uhh, sorry," she stammered out. "I'll go help Chase and Foreman with…whatever they're doing."

She got up and stopped in front of House, who was blocking her way. His piercing blue eyes looked into her green ones, filled with curiosity over what was making her so flustered around him. She stared back, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, and waited for him to do or say something. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, House stepped back just enough for her to get by, forcing their bodies to touch as she pushed past him. Without a backwards glance, she quickly left the room, only letting out the breath she'd been holding once she was safely inside the elevator. Realizing that her cell phone was still in her hand, she dropped it into her pocket. It was then she realized that she had left the letter on her desk. Getting off at the next floor, she ran to the stairwell and rushed back up to her office. As she approached the room, she noticed House with a piece of paper in his hands through the glass.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Just to clarify, House and Cameron have _not_ slept together (yet). She was just dreaming. Sorry about that. Anyways, the story continues.

Part Four

House turned as Cameron, slightly out of breath from sprinting up the stairs, ran into the room. "It's only dinner!" Cameron blurted out.

"_What'_s only dinner?" House asked, confused. Cameron stopped herself from replying and took a closer look at the paper in House's hand. It was a questionnaire of some sort—not Sebastian's letter. Glancing at her desk, she noticed that her letter had fallen onto the floor beside her chair. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she realized that she had said too much. Not only did she have to now come up with a plausible explanation for her outburst, but she somehow had to maneuver her way over to her desk in order to pick up the letter without making House suspicious.

House saw her look at the paper in his hand and then at ground near her desk. While Cameron stood there, still trying to figure out how to get out of this situation, House slowly set the paper on top of the stack of files of Cuddy's potential sperm donors. Then, before Cameron could react, he suddenly limped over to her desk, saw the paper on the floor, and swiftly picked it up. Cameron dove after him, trying to snatch the paper out of his hand before he could read it. Using his height to his advantage, he lifted the hand with the letter high up in the air, tilting his head up so that he could read it. Cameron jumped to grab it; but even in her heels, she was too short to reach. After several unsuccessful attempts, she finally gave up and stepped back, her body clenching in anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity, House dropped his arm to his side and leaned heavily on his cane.

"So, the 'good doctor' of Africa is coming. I'm guessing from your frantic attempts to prevent me from reading this and your highly dramatic entrance that you said 'yes'?"

"Yes," Cameron replied hesitantly, wary of how calm House was.

"How come I wasn't invited? I helped save his life, too," he said with a rather whiny tone.

"I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't. But, I wouldn't say 'no' to free food."

"Well, go ask him yourself tomorrow," Cameron offered, a bit fed up with House's lack of response to the fact that she was going out to dinner with Sebastian. With that, she took the letter out of his hand and left the room. She had thought that he would at least be the tiniest bit jealous. He had been so curious the last time Sebastian had asked her out. She couldn't figure out why House wasn't acting like that now. _You just wait, Dr. Gregory House_, she thought to herself. _I'm going to make your eyes pop out tomorrow!_

House watched Cameron leave the room without a word. Judging from Cameron's outburst, he could only assume that she still had feelings for him. Why else would she immediately tell him that it was _just_ dinner? He smiled smugly, rather sure of himself. She had told him once before that there was no future. Nothing had changed. Sebastian was still mainly in Africa, and House couldn't see Cameron adjusting to that world. But, just in case, he would stick around a little while longer after work tomorrow. _It isn't like I have anything to worry about_, House thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Please read and review! I hope you like it.

* * *

Cameron came to work the next day, emotionally and physically prepared for her dinner date. She was determined to have a good time with Sebastian and not be distracted by thoughts of House. Last night, she had put curlers in her hair, knowing that she wouldn't have time for styling it after work. She had also purposely picked out something a little fancy to wear since Sebastian had left a message on her cell phone, telling her that he had made a reservation at a classy restaurant. This dinner was becoming more and more like a date—a fact that didn't help Cameron's nerves. 

As Cameron walked into the hospital and towards the elevators to unload her belongings, Cuddy intercepted her. "So, I hear that Dr. Charles is back in the States for a day," Cuddy remarked. "And it's _not_ just for his TB medication."

"Wait, how did you—? Oh, never mind. No one can keep their mouth shut in this hospital. Do you think I should've said 'no'?" Cameron asked, losing some of the self-confidence she came in with.

"No. He's not your patient any longer. It's not like you're violating any rules. No, I just wanted to come tell you that if House tries to interfere and give you extra work to keep you here longer, just tell me; and I'll take care of it. You're not the only one looking forward to this date, you know."

"Why?" Cameron asked, curious as to know who else would care about her going out to dinner with Sebastian. She wasn't used to being the subject of the hospital grapevine.

"There are already bets going around on how House will react. Most people think he's going to try to do something to ruin your date."

"It's _not_ a date. And, House won't do anything."

"That's what _you_ think. But don't worry, I'll keep him busy," Cuddy smiled sympathetically at Cameron's naivety before going back into her office.

Cameron stared after her, pondering about Cuddy's comments. She couldn't decide whether or not she _wanted_ House to interfere. If he did, maybe it meant he _did_ have feelings for her. If he didn't, then he really did see her as just another member of the team. Ignoring the increasingly active flutters in her stomach, she continued towards the elevators and went to her office.

Without a new patient, Cameron spent most of the day successfully avoiding House. To make sure that her dinner date would go as planned, she left a message on Sebastian's phone, telling him that she would bring him his medication during the date. There was no way she was actually going to let House and Sebastian meet. Who knew what House would do?

Later, she went to lunch with the boys, which turned out to be a bad idea. They spent the entire time making fun of her for agreeing to go out with Dr. Sebastian. She just ignored them and quietly ate her salad, not letting them see that their jibes were getting to her. As the day continued, the butterflies in her stomach had gotten worse. The only thing that kept her from calling and canceling the date was her determination to prove to House that she had indeed moved on (even if she could barely convince herself). Wilson was the only male that understood how nervous she was. He found her hiding in the lab and gave her a quick pep talk, knowing that the other guys would be giving her a hard time. Also, it helped that Cuddy had kept her word, keeping House busy—with what, she couldn't exactly be sure.

Finally, it was five o'clock. Cameron approached her office with trepidation, hoping that House wouldn't be there waiting for her. When she got there, there was no one in sight. She let out a sigh of relief. Grabbing her dress and makeup bag, she walked to the woman's bathroom to change. Locking herself in the largest stall, she carefully put on the dress. The smooth black material whispered over her skin, ending slightly above her knees. The material gathered at the center of her chest, where a thin string was strung through. With one hand over the front, she bent over to flip her hair over her head, leaving her back bare. Taking both ends of the string, she tied it in a loose bow. Standing back up, she tugged at the hem, adjusting the dress until it fit. Once completely dressed, she let herself out and stood in front of the mirror. Taking out a tin of bobby pins, she styled her wavy tresses into a low bun to leave a most of her back bare. Then, she added a little more eyeliner and mascara to give it a more glamorous look. With a final touch of lipstick, she closed her bag, draped her neatly folded work clothes over her arms, and went back to her office to pick up the rest of her stuff.

This time, she wasn't so lucky. House was waiting for her, sitting in his recliner with his Gameboy. He had spent the entire day doing clinic duty and researching the backgrounds of Cuddy's potential sperm donors. He knew about the bet; and he didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of being proven right about his feelings towards Cameron.

Hearing her open the door, he looked up and promptly forgot his game. He hadn't seen her looking this breathtaking since the time she wore that red dress at the charity event. Seeing her everyday in her lab coat sometimes made him forget just how gorgeous she was.

"House! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Cameron exclaimed upon seeing a rather awestruck House, one hand at her heart.

"You're not the only one who's about to have a heart attack," House muttered to himself.

"What?" Cameron asked, coming into his office. "I didn't catch that."

"Nothing," House replied, pouting a bit. He paused for a moment to get a hold of himself. "_You_'ve been avoiding me today."

"Can you blame me? You have a reputation for butting your head into other people's business."

"Really? I thought it was for being an ass."

"Same thing. But anyways, what are you doing here so late?"

"Well, since you warned Dr. TB away from the hospital, I had to find _some_ way to get my free dinner."

"Go find Wilson. You like his cooking; and you actually like _him_."

"Not wanting me to ruin you _date_?"

"It's not a date."

"Right," House said sarcastically. "No one dresses like _that _when it's _not_ a date. How come you didn't wear something like this for ours? Who knows? It may have ended up a lot differently if you had waltzed in with _that_ on. It's basically just a scrap of cloth. Trying out for a high-class stripper joint?"

It was Cameron's turn to scoff. "Right, like you would have acted differently just because I showed a little more skin."

House didn't respond. He set down his Gameboy and got out of the recliner with the help of his cane. Cameron remained where she was, angry at House's suggestion that her dress was trashy. House limped towards her, almost toe to toe with her. He lifted his free hand from his side and gently caressed her cheek, his fingers slowly making its way down her neck until it reached the knotted string. Cameron held her breath, waiting to see if House would actually untie it.

House pinched one of the ends between his fingers, giving it a slight tug—not enough to undo it, but just enough to loosen it. Cameron brought her hand up to his wrist and stopped him. "Please," she whispered. "I have to go." She stepped back, letting go of his arm. With a sharp turn on her heels, she quickly walked out of House's office and went to her own desk. Grabbing the rest of her stuff, she ran out of the room without a backwards glance. She was already late; and she knew that if she turned back towards House, she just may not be able leave.

House watched her leave with his hand clenched tightly around his cane—just as he had when she had told him that she was quitting. He wanted to call her back and tell her that she shouldn't go. But, he couldn't. Maybe she would be better off with that idiot. Maybe _he_ could give Cameron what she needed in a relationship. Even though he knew that this was probably for the best, House couldn't help but feel like he was watching yet another woman he loved leave him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** Thanks for the comments everyone! Feel free to give me ideas, too! It will save me from writer's block. Anyways, dear readers, on with the date! I know it's short. I promise I'll make it up to you. Pinky swear.

* * *

"Cameron, are you all right?" Sebastian asked, while he and Cameron were waiting for the food. 

Her mind was still on what had happened in House's office. _What if I had stayed? _Cameron pushed away that stray thought and forced herself to focus back on her date with Sebastian. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I'm just wondering if everything's okay. You seem a bit distracted." He reached his hand across the table and gently covered one of her hands with his.

She looked down at where their hands met. It was nice having this kind of contact with a man; it'd been so long since she had anything that resembled a romantic relationship with a man. "I'm fine, just a bit tired. I had a hard day at work."

"You know, you don't have to slave away at a 9 to 5 job. My offer still stands; I would love to have you with me in Africa." When Cameron opened her mouth to say something, he held up his free hand to interrupt her. "You don't have to answer me now. Just think about it." Sebastian squeezed her hand lightly and slowly pulled his hand away, not wanting to pressure her too much.

"Sebastian, I can't. I…" She looked at him, trying to find a reason to give him. Sebastian saw the truth in her eyes.

"It's House, isn't it? You're still in love with him," Sebastian sat back angrily. "How can you love a man who's so emotionally retarded? He doesn't care about his patients or _you_. All he cares about are solving his puzzles and his next Vicodin fix."

The people at the neighboring tables looked over at them, wondering why this possible Nobel Peace Prize candidate was so angry. Sebastian quickly calmed himself, not wanting to make a scene. Cameron looked down at her wineglass, unable to meet the gazes of the curious onlookers.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. I just don't want to see you get hurt. He's not going to change, Allison."

"I don't _want_ him to change. I just want him to love me back," Cameron replied quietly. She looked into Sebastian's eyes, imploring him to try and understand that she couldn't help but have these feelings for House.

Sebastian nodded—not in agreement, but in acknowledgement that it was ultimately her life and her decision. He turned away, picking up his glass of wine and draining it. A waiter came with their meal; and the two of them ate in relative silence for the rest of the night, speaking only about his work in Africa.

Cameron came home and immediately got ready for bed. She had said goodbye to Sebastian in the restaurant's parking lot, feeling guilty for ruining the date. Being the man that he was, Sebastian refused to let the night end on awkward terms. He gave her a friendly peck on the cheek, telling her that she would always have a place with him in Africa should she change her mind. Cameron thanked him, wrapping her arms around his shoulder to give him a quick hug before getting into the car.

In the logical part of her mind, Cameron wished that she could've fallen in love with someone like Sebastian. He was kind and obviously caring. Life would be so much easier. But then, life was never easy; just as matters of the heart were never rational. She laid her head on her pillow, rather disappointed that she had put so much effort into looking good for yet another date that ended in disaster. First House, now Sebastian. As she slowly drifted off to sleep, Cameron couldn't help but think that maybe she would _never_ be in a happy, loving relationship—to love and be loved in return.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** The day after the date. What will happen between House and Cameron? Read on and find out! (I actually had it finished earlier, but I couldn't upload it for some reason.) **Edited 8/29/08**: Sorry, I was re-reading my fanfiction to remind myself of what I had written and I caught an error.

* * *

Cameron came to work the next day, filled with dread. She did _not_ want to see House. The last thing she needed after last night's disaster was House's sarcasm. But, she couldn't avoid him forever—it would be cowardly to do so. She didn't want him to know that it hadn't turned out well for it had been her chance to show him that she had indeed moved on. Instead, it proved the exact opposite: she was—and probably always would be—in love with House.

When she entered the hospital, she rushed past Cuddy's office and straight to the elevators. She knew that if Cuddy saw her, she'd ask her about the date—a topic which she did _not_ want to discuss. Cameron spied Cuddy walking out of her office as the elevator doors closed—she was safe, for now. Reaching her desk without talking to anyone, she set down her backpack and started making the coffee. Today was one day where she definitely needed her caffeine fix; she didn't think she could make it throughout the day otherwise. After the first pot had finished brewing, she filled her mug and brought it back to her desk. She turned on her laptop and sipped her coffee as she waited for the machine to boot up. Typing in her password with her free hand, she opened up her email. Aside from the junk mail, she had no new mail. In some ways, she was relieved. She had half-expected Sebastian to email her; but she was glad that he didn't—she didn't want to have to come up with a response.

A few minutes later, Foreman and Chase came in.

"Hey, Cameron. How did the date with the selfish jerk go?" Chase asked, smiling.

"I still don't understand why you guys insist on calling him that. Is it because he helps thousands of people every year? Wow, that's incredibly selfish of him," Cameron replied irritably.

"Uh oh. Did someone not have a very good time last night?" Foreman asked, pulling a mock sad face.

"Oh, grow up. You're starting to sound like House." Cameron got out of her desk to rinse out her now-empty mug in the sink. Foreman scoffed; then, he and Chase followed her into the conference room to fill their own mugs with the coffee that she had prepared.

"I told you it wouldn't work. He's not House," Chase remarked, watching her attack her cup with the sponge as he leaned a hip against the counter. Cameron turned off the water and whipped around. If she hadn't left the mug in the sink, she probably would've given Chase a black eye or a bloody nose. He jumped back in surprise. Placing herself right in his face, she yelled, "Thank you so much for your insight, Dr. Chase. You think that I don't realize that? The next time you want to give me advice about my love life—don't."

She clenched her fingers in a fist; and for a moment, Chase was afraid that she was going to punch him. Foreman lifted an eyebrow, slightly amused and slightly worried about her angry outburst. Obviously, she still had feelings for House— something he would probably never understand (nor did he want to).

"Uh oh. Looks like Dr. Cameron isn't very happy with you, Dr. Chase. Did you use her curling iron again?" House asked, taking in the tense-ridden scene as he walked in.

Cameron glared over Chase's shoulders at House, about to tear in to him as well. But, not wanting to give House the upper hand, she just growled with frustration and stormed out of the room, almost knocking House over in her warpath through the doors.

When she had gone, House turned back to the other guys, and remarked, "Guess someone didn't have fun last night." Then, he started whistling and went into his office.

Cameron was still fuming hours later as she was in the laboratory, recalibrating the centrifuges—but not as much as before. She was glad that House, Chase, and Foreman had wisely chosen to stay clear of her the entire morning. Suddenly, she heard the lab door open.

"Knock, knock," House said, limping in through the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Cameron asked, rather huffily.

"No, the right response is: who's there?"

"Go away. I'm not in the mood for this." Cameron turned away from him and focused her attention back onto the centrifuge.

"I guess four hours wasn't enough time to let you cool down. I'll come back later." House made a move to leave.

"What do you want?" Cameron asked, stopping him.

"Nothing," House replied, turning around. "Just wondering what Chase said that made you so angry. I get that you didn't have a fantastic time last night, but _that_ shouldn't make you angry. What did Chase say?" He stared at her, trying to make sense of her.

Cameron glared back, saying, "He was just repeating something he told me before; and I didn't appreciate being reminded about it."

"You didn't answer the question." House waited. Chase hadn't told him that this wasn't the first time that Chase had told Cameron that Sebastian wasn't House. (He had stopped off at the NICU before coming to lab; if he was going to confront Cameron, he had to at least be sure that he wasn't the only one with feelings.) But now, he had reason to believe that the sparks between them was mutual because this was the _second_ time that Cameron had chosen _him_, Gregory House, over the smarmy Dr. TB.

"I know; and I'm not going to," Cameron said, jerking House out of his thoughts. She then turned her back towards him, signaling the end of the conversation. House came up close behind her and brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "I'm glad you chose me over Sebastian." Before Cameron could turn around and respond, he was gone. She stared at his retreating back, slightly confused but slightly hopeful.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** I know it's short, but it's rather intense. The next part's already in progress, so you won't have to wait long to see what happens afterwards.

* * *

Cameron found House in his office sitting by himself. She had waited until after work to approach him about what had happened in the lab earlier that day. Both Chase and Foreman had already left the hospital, and there weren't that many people around. She cautiously opened the glass door and entered the room, her palm slightly sweaty from her being so nervous. She discreetly wiped her palm against her lab coat as she walked to the front of his desk. House glanced up from his Gameboy, waiting for her to make the first move.

"You're still here," Cameron said, gathering up the courage to bring up the topic she actually wanted to discuss with him: where the two of them stood.

"I am," House said slowly, setting down the Gameboy. He crossed his arms around his chest and leaned back in his chair. After having taken the initiative to see her in the lab, it was only fair that she should take the next step. He refused to be the only one to let down his guard, even if it was just temporarily.

Cameron crossed her arms as well and hesitantly drew closer to his side. House swiveled his chair to face her until his knees were just a scant inch away from her legs. She bit her lip and stared at his knees, unable to look at him directly. They stayed like this for a moment—both afraid but both hopeful—as Cameron tried to find the words to say.

"What you said…back in the lab. What did you mean? Literally." She raised her eyes to meet his, imploring him to tell her the truth because she didn't know if she could handle it if he brushed her away again.

House was at a loss for words—he didn't know if he should just admit his feelings for her or if he should make her admit her feelings to him first. He wasn't used to opening up, especially after Stacy; even before her, talking about his emotions had never been easy for him.

Cameron, taking his silence as a rejection, rapidly blinked to keep back the tears and turned to leave, not wanting him to see her cry. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, holding her back. When she turned back around, she found House leaning forward in his seat with his hand gripping hers. He loosened his hold, not wanting to hurt her, but left their palms touching and his fingers wrapped around hers. Lifting his other hand, he placed it on top of their joined hands, encompassing her hand with both of his, and tugged her closer to him until she was standing between his legs. A tear trickled down her chin and landed on the back of his hand. House looked up and saw that she was crying. Pulling her down until she was resting on his uninjured leg, he let go of her hands. He wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her secure. With his free hand, he cupped one side of her face with his hand, tenderly using his thumb to wipe away the tears.

"I'm sorry, Allison. Don't cry. You know I'm not good with weeping women," he murmured softly, trying to calm her down.

Cameron cracked a weak smile. "Usually, you just ignore them."

"Well, I can't ignore you. Not anymore."

"Good," she replied with a sniffle and brought up her arms to wrap around his neck, "because I won't let you ignore me anymore."

Then, she closed the space between their faces and kissed him. House could taste the saltiness as she pressed her lips against his. He then pulled away to gently trace the path of her tears on her cheek with his soft lips. The stubble on his chin was slightly rough on her skin, but she didn't care. How could she? She was finally in House's arms. Cameron buried her face into his neck, close to his ear. "You still owe me a better first date. Just because I kissed you doesn't mean that you're off the hook," she whispered.

House, being the kind of person who has to have the last word, whispered back, "Only if you wear something sexier than what you wore for the selfish jerk last night."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long. It's not the date, yet. That will be up soon. I hope you guys enjoy it, and stay tuned for House and Cameron's date.

* * *

House and Cameron had agreed to keep the news of the two of them going on a date a secret. Even though they had admitted their feelings for each other, neither one was willing to completely let down their guard—House, in particular. Although he knew that he probably loved Cameron, he couldn't silence the tiny sliver of doubt of the two of them being able to last. He was too set in his ways to change, and it was highly likely that he would do something to drive her away.

He hadn't told Cameron where he was taking her, yet. All he had said was that she should wear something incredibly sexy. She had just laughed, giving him one last peck on the cheek before driving home. But, House had a plan—a plan that was sure to convince her that she had not made a mistake in loving him again.

Cameron walked into the conference room, trying hard to keep a smile off her face. _Think sad thoughts_, she repeated to herself. After yesterday's scene with Foreman and Chase, a smile would be telling. _Sad thoughts, sad thoughts, sad thoughts_. Placing her bag near her desk, she headed over to the coffee machine and started brewing a fresh pot. When it had finished, she only poured herself a cup and poured the rest down the drain. _Let them think I'm still angry at them_, she thought. Hearing the doors open behind her, she slowly turned around, expecting either Foreman or Chase; but, it was House.

"You're here early," she said.

"I know. I wanted to see you before the two bozos got here." House threw his backpack into his office and then walked over towards her. After giving a brief glance to make sure the coast was clear of prying eyes, he pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Mmm. You taste of coffee. Speaking of coffee, where's my cup?"

"Down the drain."

"What? That's not fair. I'm buying you dinner, and you can't even make me a lousy cup of coffee?" House asked, pouting.

"First of all, my coffee is _not _lousy. Second of all, if I made you a cup and not the 'bozos,' it would look suspicious. Supposedly, I'm mad at you, too."

"Fine. Just don't expect to have the fancy dinner I was planning for us," House replied, childishly acting like he was mad.

"Uh huh. No fancy dinner means no sexy dress."

House paused and pretended to debate the matter in his head. "Okay. You can still have the fancy dinner. But _only_ because I want to make the other males in the restaurant be super jealous."

"Right. _That's_ the reason," Cameron said, patting his shoulder as if she was just humoring him. "Now, you can either make your own lousy cup of coffee or wait until Foreman gets in. Chase couldn't make a decent cup of coffee if his life depended on it. Now, I'm going to sit down at my desk and act very angry while you be your normal, brooding self." With that, she marched over to her desk and turned on her laptop, pretending to be busy.

House finally decided to just brew his own pot of coffee, being too impatient to wait for Foreman. When it was done, he poured himself a healthy amount, walked past Cameron, pulled a face at her, and settled into his chair to play with his Gameboy.

Foreman came in several minutes later to see Cameron and House at their respective desks. Thinking that since Cameron hadn't yelled at him the day before, she wouldn't be mad at him.

"Hey, Cameron," he said, walking over to the counter to get his daily cup of coffee.

Cameron poignantly ignored him, continuing to type on her laptop. Foreman poured a cup into his mug and said, "Okay. I guess you're still angry." She didn't react. Trying to appease her, he continued, raising his mug in a mock salute, "Thanks for the coffee, though." Then, he took a sip, spitting it out immediately afterwards into the sink. "Or maybe not."

"It does not taste _that _bad," House yelled from his office upon hearing Foreman pouring the rest of the coffee down the drain.

"Actually, it does. Remind to never piss off Cameron before she makes the coffee," Foreman replied, relegating himself to making a cup of tea instead.

Cameron smirked, noticing that Foreman hadn't dumped out the rest of the pot. Obviously, he wanted Chase to suffer through a cup of House's version of coffee. When Chase came in later, Foreman remained silent as Chase raised his mug to his mouth to drink the coffee, waiting for his reaction. Foreman wasn't disappointed. Chase spurted out his coffee within seconds of tasting it. However, unlike Foreman, he missed the sink; and the liquid ended up all over the counter.

"You're cleaning that up," House said.

"Why didn't you warn me?" Chase asked Foreman accusingly.

"_I _wasn't the one who pissed off Cameron yesterday. It was _your _fault that I have to drink tea."

Cameron watched the two continue to bicker out of the corner of her eye, trying hard to contain her laughter. It felt incredibly satisfying to have the upper hand for once. After finishing up House's email and snapping her laptop shut, she gave the three men a cool nod and headed over to the elevators to do her clinic hours.

Foreman followed suit several minutes later to do three hours of House's clinic duty, having lost a bet to House about the illegitimacy of a previous patient. After finally obtaining the highscore, House came out of his office to make sure that Chase was cleaning up the mess he created.

"Did she at least make _you _a decent cup of coffee?" Chase asked House, wiping the counter with a paper towel.

"No. You missed a spot over there."

"Well, that's surprising. I would think that she wouldn't want to anger her boss, let alone the man she has a high school girl crush on," Chase muttered under his breath as he vigorously wiped the spot that House was pointing at.

"What did you say?" House asked, seeing if Chase had the guts to say it to his face.

"Uhh. Nothing," Chase ducked his head, resuming his wiping without another word.

House just smirked behind Chase's back, sadistically satisfied from giving Chase a hard time. When Chase was done, House left him to his crossword puzzle while he returned to his office to confirm the reservations for his date that night.

"I thought the day would never end," Cameron said as she and House stood in the elevator together.

"At least you didn't have Cuddy coming after you. She is absolutely convinced that _I _am the reason for your disastrous date with Dr. TB. And then Wilson comes barging into my office to tell me that I should stop being a jerk to women I care about because he _also _believes that it was my fault. How come I get blamed for everything? It was _his _fault that he was a terrible date—not mine," House whined to Cameron.

Cameron just laughed at his childish tone and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before the doors opened. The two of them walked out, acting as if nothing had changed between them. When they got to the parking lot, Cameron whispered to him through the side of her mouth, "See you tonight at my place." Then, they separated before heading to their respective homes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **The date! PLEASE read and review. You know you want to! (Wink wink.) Since I haven't updated in a relatively long time, I made this chapter really long. I hope you like it!

* * *

Cameron dabbed a touch of perfume at the base of her neck, choosing a light and airy scent that was so subtle that House would have to be incredibly close to even smell it. She was incredibly nervous, probably more so on this date than she was before their first one. It seemed like she had more to lose now—now she knew that there was probably no other man for her. Shaking away that depressing thought, she focused back on looking perfect for tonight. Her hair lay in loose waves, covering the tops of her shoulders. The dress was not as revealing as the one she'd worn on her date with Dr. Charles; it felt more appropriate to wear something a little more romantic. The black, off-the-shoulder dress was similar to the one she'd worn on her and House's first official date; but this time, she passed on wearing her mother's earrings and decided on the ones she'd bought recently. A new pair of earrings for a new start. With one last check to make sure that she didn't have any lipstick on her teeth, she left the bathroom and glanced at the clock in the living room. House would be arriving any minute. Taking a deep breath, she sat in a nearby chair—too nervous to concentrate on anything else but wait for the knock on the door.

Almost as if he knew she was ready, House tapped his cane against her door with his familiar, persistent knocks.

"I'm coming," Cameron said, grabbing her purse. She paused before finally opening the door. He stood on the other side, looking very much like he did when he asked her to come back—except for the suit and tie. His mouth slightly gaping, House froze in mid-knock with his cane in his hand. Quickly recovering from the shock of seeing her, he commented sarcastically, "The other guy got to see more skin."

"Thank you. You look very nice, too," Cameron replied, knowing not to expect any compliments on her appearance. The stunned look on his face was enough.

House let his cane hand drop and leaned on it. "Well, I tried my bestest. And all by myself, too," House replied in a childlike voice.

"Wilson didn't help you pick out the shirt?"

"Nope."

"Wow. And here I thought you two didn't keep secrets from each other." She stepped out into the hall, closing her door behind her so that House couldn't get a closer look inside. Stepping closer to House, she continued in a sultry voice, "Am I your dirty little secret, Dr. House?"

House looked at her, trying extremely hard not to take her up on her challenge and kiss the living daylights out of her. He had to keep his cool; he couldn't let her get the upper hand in the relationship. "We haven't done anything dirty, yet. But if you're up to it…" He winked dramatically and nodded his head towards the door she just closed.

Cameron blushed, not used to playing the role of the sophisticated seductress around House. She quickly changed the subject. "Didn't you make reservations? I wouldn't want to be cheated out of a fancy dinner, especially if you're paying for once."

"You can talk the talk, but you can't walk the walk. All right, spoilsport, we'll do it your way." House turned around and the two of them headed towards the street outside Cameron's apartment.

"Tell me you brought your car," Cameron said as they walked outside.

"What? The bike isn't classy enough? Don't worry. They'll let us in regardless of what we drive up in."

"It's not that…" Cameron said, hesitating.

"Then what is it?"

"I'm not exactly wearing something appropriate for sitting on a motorcycle," she replied, almost in a whisper.

House just stopped in his tracks. Cameron avoided his gaze, focusing on a spot on the ground. He cleared his throat before saying, "I brought the car."

They got into the car without a word. Cameron was too embarrassed, and House was too distracted. Finally, Cameron's curiosity got the better of her. "Where are we going?"

"Huh?" House answered, lost in thought.

"Where...are…we…going?" she repeated slowly.

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Fine." She sat back and looked out into the lighted streets, trying to figure out where they were going. Soon, the street names became familiar. "Wait a minute. Are we going to where I think we're going?"

"Uh. I don't know. I'm not psychic, you know. I can't read your mind."

Not wanting to tell him her guess and turning out to be wrong, she kept her mouth shut until he pulled into the parking lot of a very familiar restaurant.

"Café Spoleto?" She turned to face House. "Café Spoleto?"

"I never said that I couldn't read signs. You don't have to keep on repeating it."

"But, this is where we had our first date. And I don't think I have to remind you that it didn't turn out very well."

House shrugged and unbuckled his seatbelt. "I thought I could make it up to you." He reached for something behind his seat.

Cameron noticed him rummaging through the mess in the backseat and asked, "What are you looking for?"

"This." He held up a clear, plastic box that had a ribbon tied around it. Inside laid a white corsage, very similar to the one he gave her before. Untying the ribbon, he took out the corsage and pinned it onto her dress. "Perfect. Now, let's hurry up and get out of the car or else we'll be late for our reservation."

Cameron gingerly touched the corsage, unable to believe how romantic House was being. House knocked on her window, gesturing to hurry up and get out. She carefully undid her seatbelt and opened her door. When she had gotten out, House was already several feet away, limping towards the restaurant. _Okay, maybe not romantic enough to actually wait for me_. He lifted his car keys and pressed the lock button without a backwards glance. Cameron rushed to catch up, her heels clicking on the pavement.

House got to the door first and impatiently held it open for Cameron. She breezed past him. "At least you held the door open for me."

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't been such a slowpoke getting out." House said behind her before moving to her side. He went up to the person behind the podium and said, "Under House."

The maître d' then led them to their table, providing them with both with a menu and a glass of wine. House stared intently at the menu, pretending to be completely engrossed with choosing his dinner. Cameron pulled the menu down until she could see his face. "House, relax. I already know that you like me. And, I'm not going to bring up Freud. You don't have to compliment my earrings or my shoes. All you have to do is sit there. Just pretend that we're sitting in your office and talk to me."

"Well, it's kind of hard for me to start up a conversation when I know that you're wearing naughty underwear."

"Cuddy wears naughty underwear all the time and you don't seem to have a problem with talking to her. Plus, it's not like I wear granny underwear to work. So, why's now so different?"

"Well, now I _know_. And you're definitely not Cuddy." House slowly started to relax, settling into his usual snarky self. "But maybe you're onto something here. Maybe you should start wearing some of those revealing tops to work. Give me something nice to look at while we're at work." He smiled wickedly.

Cameron scoffed. "In your dreams."

"Oh, you can bet that I already do dream about it." He raised an eyebrow at her suggestively.

Cameron looked down at her menu, her cheeks turning red. "I think I'll have the pasta again."

House chuckled softly, amused at how easy it was to embarrass her. Taking pity on her for the moment, he perused the menu. "I want the steak. And don't even think about stealing any of it." Cameron rolled her eyes—as if _she_ would do something like that.

After the waiter came to take their respective orders, House took a healthy gulp of his wine. "Liquid courage?" Cameron remarked, noticing this.

"I think things would go a lot better if I was a little buzzed."

"Well, don't get too drunk. I don't want to end up having to lug you back to the car by myself, especially in these heels," she replied, gesturing to her shoes.

House looked down at her stilettos. "Nice shoes. Oops, forgot. Wasn't supposed to comment on the shoes. So…where are you taking me for our next date?"

"This date isn't even over, yet, and you want to talk about the next one?" Cameron smiled to herself, relieved that House was even considering another date.

"What else is there to talk about? My favorite color? Your dreams, hopes, and aspirations?"

"My dreams, hopes, and aspirations? When did you ever care about those? That sounds more like something Wilson would ask about."

"Ehh…"

"Ha! It probably was Wilson. Anyways, I already know your favorite color. It's blue."

"And yours is probably pink. I bet you had one of those princess canopy beds while you were growing up with frills and lace all over your room. And you probably had huge posters off all the popular boy bands plastered on the walls."

"As if you didn't have posters of scantily clad women in your room. Probably still have some hidden away."

"Hey! Those women are for educational purposes."

Their food arrived, cutting any response that Cameron was about to make. Focusing on the food in front of them, the pair would comment once in a while about how delicious it was. Not believing her, House took his fork and grabbed some off her plate, plopping it into his mouth. "Mmm," he said, savoring the tangy sauce. He tried to take more, but Cameron swatted his hand away. "What happened to not stealing food?"

"Hey, I'm paying. So, technically, that's _my _food." With that said, he quickly stole another bite before Cameron could stop him. In record time, he polished off the rest of his meal. Cameron finally pushed her plate away, claiming, "I can't eat another bite."

"Good." House grabbed her plate, switched it with his empty one, and began to work on clearing her plate as well.

The waiter came to take their plates away. Neither of them wanted dessert, so House paid and they got up to leave. They slowly walked back to the car. Cameron was slightly disappointed that nothing major had happened, but she was also glad that they didn't mess up this time. She shivered, having forgotten to grab her shawl before leaving her apartment. House put an arm around her shoulders and held her tight against his side, surprising her.

"I smell flowers, and it isn't the corsage I got you."

"Oh, that's just my perfume."

House brought his nose closer to her neck and breathed in her scent. He kissed her neck and drew back. "I should've known you'd have a girly smell. I like it on you."

"I'm so glad you approve," she replied sarcastically, but smiling.

He opened the passenger door for her before getting into his own side. As he drove, House placed a hand on her knee, never taking his eyes off the road. Cameron gently placed her hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze, not letting go. She looked out the window, watching the street lights pass by. When he missed the turn to her apartment, she turned to face him. "You missed the turn to my apartment. You've got to do a U-turn up ahead."

'I'm not taking you home just yet. I'm taking you back to my place."

"Gregory House. I am _not _the type of girl to put out on the first date."

"Well, technically, it's the second date; but I thought we could just relax at my place for a while."

Cameron sighed, signifying her consent, knowing that she basically had no other choice. It wasn't like she could just jump out of the car. As he parked at the curb outside his home, Cameron waited for House to come around and open the door for her. He extended his hand and pulled her out. Opening the door to his house, he stepped back to let her through. "Ladies first."

"Nice to see you acting like a gentleman for once," she said as she walked in.

"Don't get used to it."

House loosened his tie as he closed the door. "Want a drink?"

"Water will be just fine."

"You're no fun. At least let me have a bit of hope that I can get you drunk and have my way with you." But he walked into the kitchen and poured her a glass of water.

"Thanks." She took a sip of water, watching as House poured himself some scotch. "So, you're not worried about me taking advantage of you should you get drunk?"

"I'm hoping you will," he replied jokingly.

Taking a seat next to her on the sofa, he put an arm behind her head so that she could rest on his shoulder. He set down his glass and rested his chin on the top of her head. Then, he started running his hand up and down her arm, contemplating what to say next.

Cameron beat him to it. She lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "Greg, you don't have to say anything. I've learned my lesson: I'm not going to demand that you open up and tell me all your feelings. And, I'm not going to go around and calling you my boyfriend. We'll take this one day at a time." She gave him a chaste kiss on the lips and went back to resting her head against his shoulder.

House had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was glad that she wouldn't force him to open up to her again. On the other hand, he almost _wanted _her to think of him as her boyfriend. It was just so complicated. He didn't want to move so fast that they ended up like him and Stacy did; yet, he also didn't want to move so slow that she would end up resenting the relationship.

Not being able to think of the appropriate response, he just pulled her closer; and the two of them sat in a contemplative silence before the day caught up with them and they fell asleep on the couch.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** I know I haven't posted in ages. I'm really sorry! So, to make it up to you, I made this chapter longer than normal. And, on a side note: I have my own spoiler alert. I may start incorporating the stories from the House/Cameron Mini-stories now that House and Cameron have officially started dating. So, don't read those if you don't want to know what's going to happen to House and Cameron in the future! ;-D Please comment!

* * *

House woke up with the feeling that he was missing something. Still a bit groggy, he stretched out his arms, his muscles sore from having fallen asleep on the couch. Finally, it hit him: Cameron was missing. Rubbing his right thigh to ease the throbbing pain, he looked around the room to see if she was still there. His eyes fell upon a note on his coffee table. It read:

House,

Good morning, sleepyhead. I caught a cab back home so that I could take a quick shower and change before work. I made a pot of coffee, some toast, and scrambled eggs for you to make up for yesterday morning. Enjoy and I'll see you at work.

- Allison

House took the Post-it and put it into a box he hid under his bed. Inside were numerous mementos he had collected, like the old photo of him and Stacy and the hundred dollars he'd won off of Cameron (he'd never had the heart to actually spend it). He knew it was probably stupid of him to keep something as trivial as a note from Cameron, but it was proof that she _had _spent the night; and he'd secretly cherish it forever.

After putting away the box, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. As he was splashing water on his face, he heard the door opening. Thinking it was Cameron, he yelled out, "Couldn't stay away from me any longer, could you?"

"What are you talking about?" Wilson asked from the doorway.

"How do you still have the keys to my place?" House asked, changing the subject. He grabbed the nearby towel and dried his face. Pushing past Wilson, he went into his bedroom to change. Wilson followed.

"I was about to give them back today, which is why I'm here. But, who were you talking to? It obviously wasn't me…unless we've suddenly taken the next step in our relationship without me knowing it."

"Just thought you were Paula, my favorite working girl. I thought it was her coming back for more," House said with an exaggerated wink. "You know me. I'm a total stud. Girls dig the hard wood." He gestured towards the cane.

"Right. And for some reason, hookers suddenly make breakfast as well?" Wilson asked, smelling the food that Cameron had left.

"I told you. She was pretty happy with me last night. And the way to a man's heart _is _his stomach."

Having put on his clothes, he limped towards the kitchen to wolf down the breakfast. Ever since Wilson had moved out, he hadn't had a decent breakfast. Smacking his lips, he gulped down his coffee and let out a satisfied, "Ahh." Wilson just watched him, almost in awe of how quickly House had eaten the entire plate of food. Shaking his head in wonder, he asked, "Do you need a ride to work?"

"Yeah. Sure. Let me just grab my stuff." Grabbing his keys and backpack, he followed Wilson out of his home and into Wilson's car. Neither man spoke on the drive to the hospital; but House knew that he hadn't heard the last of Wilson's questions about what was going on.

Wilson drove to the hospital in a contemplative mood, still trying to puzzle out who made House breakfast. He just couldn't believe that House hadn't told him that he was seeing someone—even just to rub it in. House was pretending to take a nap in the passenger seat to avoid any annoying questions from Wilson. When they arrived, Wilson poked House in the side and got out of the car without waiting to see if House had awoken. House slowly opened one eye and saw that Wilson had already started walking, so he got out of the car and followed.

"Aren't you going to lock it?" House yelled from behind.

Wilson just lifted the hand with the car keys in it and pressed the "lock" button. Without a backwards glance, he went straight to the elevators. House rushed into the elevators just in time.

"Are we having a fight? Let's just kiss and make up," House said with a false pout and batted his eyelashes in a facetious manner. Wilson just rolled his eyes in response, feigning disinterest with the belief that if he ignored House, he would eventually spill the beans about who the mysterious woman was. Unfortunately for Wilson, House brushed off his silent treatment and started humming.

When the elevator doors opened to their floor, Wilson stormed out first and left House watching his retreating back with a small smile. He continued to hum as he entered the conference room. Foreman and Chase looked up from their reading materials with curious looks on their faces.

"Someone got lucky last night," Foreman remarked, remembering that the last time House came in humming, House had been with Stacy.

"How is it that House is the only one that's getting any? You would think that women would rather have someone younger," Chase complained.

Cameron kept her back to the men, attempting to keep herself from blushing too obviously. She busied herself with adding cream to her coffee in order to calm her nerves of seeing House after last night. House ignored Foreman and Chase's comments, walking past them and into his office. This made Foreman even more curious. When House came back, Foreman asked, "What? No witty comeback? No rubbing it in?"

"Now that would be mean," House replied, pretending that being mean was the last thing he would do. He limped over to Cameron and slid his cup to her, silently asking for her to fill it up for him. She did so without a thought.

"Hey!" Foreman exclaimed. "How come you gave House coffee and not us. I thought you were mad at all of us."

House saved her from having to reply. "You can only stay mad at your boss for so long. Don't forget who signs your paychecks," he said with a pointed look.

Foreman just grumbled something indecipherable and went back to reading his newspaper. Chase shrugged to himself and continued doing his crossword puzzle. Cameron lifted her own mug to her lips to hide the smile on her face. House gave her a quick wink and headed towards his office to start his day with a healthy dose of videogames.

Several hours later found House in exam room one with one ear gone slightly deaf. Cuddy had found him in his office and yelled at him to start his clinic hours. She was still upset on Cameron's behalf, believing that House had a hand in messing up Cameron's date with Dr. Sebastian Charles. Due to his insistence on keeping his and Cameron's relationship a secret, he couldn't tell Cuddy otherwise and ended up having to suffer through her angry rant.

"You need to stop messing with Cameron!" Cuddy yelled, her curly hair flying as she angrily paced in front of the seated House. House followed her with his eyes with a slightly bemused look on his face, which didn't help to soothe Cuddy's anger. "You think this is funny?" she asked. "That girl has been in love with you for almost as long as she has been here, and this is how you repay her? Maybe I really should transfer her out of your department."

House sat up straight upon hearing the last of Cuddy's comments. "You were thinking about having Cameron transferred?"

"Ever since she came back. And if you keep on playing these sadistic mind games with her, I _will _break up your team and force you to hire someone new. I know how much you _love_ interviewing people."

House just nodded solemnly. Having had enough of her screaming, he quickly got out of his seat and headed off to clinic duty. Once he got into the elevator and away from prying eyes, he took out his pager and paged Cameron to meet him in one of the exam rooms.

"What do you want?" Cameron asked as she walked into the exam room. House was leaning against the counter, twirling his cane. He nodded towards the door, and Cameron turned back to lock it.

"You owe me," House said as she turned around.

"Why?"

"I just got yelled at by the Cuddy monster."

"When are you _not _getting yelled at by Cuddy?"

"Well, this time was different. It was about you. She still thinks that I ruined your date with the selfish jerk and left you all heartbroken." House put on a playful pout to go along with his childish whining.

"Aww," Cameron replied, walking close enough to House to wrap her arms around his waist. "I think you need a hug."

"I think I deserve a lot more than a hug," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Cameron laughed and slapped his arm. "You're going to have to wait for _that_. We wouldn't want anyone to figure us out, do we?"

House gave her a peck on her lips and said, "No, we wouldn't want that." Then, knowing that their time was limited, he quickly held her close, silently questioning his decision to keep their relationship a secret. For some strange reason, he had this irresistible urge to let everyone know that he had finally gotten the woman of his dreams.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **I know, I know. It's been almost 6 months since I've last updated. Shame on me. Blame it on school. So, here it is, dear readers: the next part. I hope you enjoy it as you've enjoyed the ones before, especially since the third season has started and lots of things of changed. But, being that this _is_ a fanfiction, I think I'd rather stick in my own happy little House/Cameron bubble. Anyways, on with the show (and happy holidays)! **Edited 8/29/08**: Found some places with missing words and fixed some more grammatical errors. I guess I should re-read these better.

* * *

Cameron woke up with a heavy weight on her chest—literally. Through the haze of sleep, she glanced down, finding a hair arm wrapped around her ribs in a protective manner. _That's definitely not my arm_, she thought, _unless I somehow turned into a misanthropic man overnight_. Rolling over slowly as to not disturb House, she carefully removed his arm so that she could get ready for work. Even though she had been sleeping over at House's for numerous nights over the past few weeks, she still found it a bit disorienting in the morning to have another warm body next to hers again. She hadn't had many shared nights with her husband. It had felt as though he was taken away from her right after they had gotten back from the honeymoon, forcing her back into nights spent alone in her bed when she wasn't by her husband's bedside at the hospital.

Shivering a bit from the morning air, she quickly put on House's bathrobe and went through her morning ritual. Her teeth slightly chattering, she hurriedly shrugged off the robe and put on her clothes for work, making sure that House's eyes were closed as she changed. She was a slightly surprised at his self-control, having been a complete gentleman. Sure, there were the occasional playful gropes; but other than the teasing, he had generally kept his hands to himself. On the one hand, she was glad that he had respected her wishes to go slow. On the other hand, it was getting harder and harder for her to keep herself from jumping him. But somehow, she would have to prevail because she didn't want their relationship to end up like his and Stacy's.

With one last glance at the sleeping House, Cameron tiptoed out of the room, grabbing her purse and keys before letting herself out.

House got to the hospital almost an hour after Cameron. Even though he had woken up almost the instant Cameron had gotten out of bed, he had feigned sleep in order to secretly watch Cameron, something he found himself doing often. He didn't know why, but just watching her do such mundane things like brushing her teeth or putting on makeup made him almost feel complete. It amazed him how familiar he had gotten with seeing her in his house. He wanted to ask her to move in with him, but he knew that she wasn't ready yet.

Barging through the glass doors with formidable force, he yelled out, "Good morning little ones!"

Chase, who had been leaning back in his chair to recount the tiles in the ceilings for yet another time having finished his crossword of the day(with a lot of help from both Cameron and Foreman), jerked in surprise and fell backwards. Foreman rolled his eyes, without making a move to help him up. Cameron, who had long forgiven the both of Chase and Foreman for giving her a hard time about her date with Sebastian, reluctantly got out of her chair and helped Chase right himself. House raised an eyebrow as if to say, _Aren't we the goody two shoes?_ Cameron wrinkled her nose at him in response, causing House to smile back innocently.

"Thanks," Chase muttered, his face slightly red from embarrassment.

"You're welcome," Cameron replied and returned to her chair without another glance towards House. Yet, her body was attuned to his presence and her skin tingled in anticipation for a brief brush with House's. She wasn't disappointed. House came to her desk, which stood right outside of House's. Pretending to grab the mail that lay next to her right hand, he let his fingers brush over hers before walking into his office with the other two being none the wiser. Their secret was still safe.

House met up with Wilson in the cafeteria for lunch (all bought and paid for by Wilson, of course). As House enjoyed yet another free meal, Wilson stared at him intensely, as if by some miracle, he could see into House's thoughts and discover the identity of the mysterious woman who had stayed over at House's that one night a few weeks ago. Wilson guessed that it hadn't been her last night, since House hadn't asked him over even once since that night. He immediately regretted giving up House's apartment key prematurely. House was a closed book, which wasn't unusual; but this time, Wilson didn't even have a clue. He would've guessed Cameron, but he sincerely doubted that House could be nearly romantic enough to convince her to forgive him after the Sebastian Charles fiasco.

"Are you going to stare at me the whole time? I mean, I know I'm beautiful. But you're starting to make me blush," House said, his mouth full of food.

"Who is she?"

"Cuddy."

"You're sleeping with Cuddy? I can't believe it. She sure has been doing a good job keeping it under wraps. You couldn't tell from the way she continues to yell at you all the time."

"Who said I was sleeping with Cuddy?"

"You did."

"No. You asked, 'Who is she?' Well, Cuddy is a 'she.' At least, I think she is. No way those babies are fake," House said with a wink and finished his sandwich with a satisfied smack.

"You know what I meant."

"Nope. No clue. Thanks for food. Catch you later, dude." And with that, House left the confused Wilson alone with his untouched lunch.

House got back to his office, barely dodging Cuddy. He let out a sigh of relief. It was getting more and more difficult to keep Cameron and his relationship a secret. And if he was honest with himself, he didn't want to anymore. He was a bit worried about what would happen if Cuddy found out. She had stopped threatening to transfer Cameron; but he didn't know whether she would change her mind once the relationship was out in the open. And he didn't think he could have a team without her on his team—or survive without her coffee.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** As promised, I'm posting up as many chapters as I can. Enjoy! And please comment. (For those who read my series of House/Cameron one-shots, this will look very familiar. I know some of this is referring to episodes from season 2, but I'm writing on a different timeline than the show. Just consider it a stroll down memory lane.)

* * *

The day started out normally—well, almost. Cameron got to work right on time with House trailing an hour or so behind in order to keep up the pretense of normality. But there was no need today. The other two men had finally decided to start coming in when House did, since they didn't wanted to be suckered into handling the overflow of clinic duty. The weather had gotten chillier, and neither one wanted to deal with children with the sniffles or their overprotective mothers who insist that their child's cough was a sign of some deadly disease that they couldn't pronounce.

House walked into the conference room, decked out in his sunglasses and motorcycle jacket. The roads had finally been cleared of snow, letting him take out his motorcycle for the first time in months. Cameron turned away from the coffee machine as she heard the familiar sounds of his uneven gait, one hand on the bag of ground beans. She gave him a brief smile before going back to making the coffee, "You're in early. I haven't even finished making the first pot of coffee, yet."

"I didn't want you to miss me. I know how you and the boys secretly pine for me," House replied, throwing his backpack into his office before coming back into the conference room."

"Foreman and Chase aren't here, yet."

"I can see that."

"Want to give me my good-morning kiss?"

"Hmmm," House considered playfully, pretending to think hard about the question. "I don't know if I like you that much."

"Shut up and kiss me before the boys get in."

House grinned as he limped over to Cameron. He set his cane against the sink counter and placed his hands on either side of her, ultimately caging her in. She closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips against his. It was a simple and sweet kiss—the glass walls didn't give them much privacy. She drew back smiling, her lips hovering close to his, and whispered, "Good morning." Then, she regretfully pulled away completely, knowing that House still wanted to keep their relatively new relationship a secret. With one more peck on his unshaven cheek standing on her tiptoes, she gently pushed him away so that she could turn around and finish making the coffee. House grabbed his cane and walked to his office, taking out his iPod and Gameboy to amuse himself with as he waited for the rest of the team to get in.

A few minutes later, Foreman and Chase walked in together. Cameron was still by the sink, waiting for the coffee to finish; and House was lounging in his recliner with his feet propped up. Upon hearing Foreman and Chase walk in, he looked up temporarily from his game and remarked, "You guys are even coming in together, now? How quaint. You two make a beautiful couple."

Foreman rolled his eyes in response while Chase began stuttering defensively, "He…I…we're not…I'm not…"

"Chase," Foreman interrupted, "you don't have to defend yourself. We already know about your fetish for dominatrix chicks. _And_, you _did_ sleep with Cameron."

House scowled at the latter remark, but Foreman missed it as he faced Cameron when she interjected, "Thank you. You just _had_ to bring that up. It's been almost a year, and you still can't forget about it. I didn't sleep with _you_. How come you're the only one who can't let it go?"

"I just still can't believe you would do something so stupid...and with Chase!"

"Hey!" Chase exclaimed.

"Sorry, man. But, it _was_ stupid."

"Yeah," Chase agreed.

Cameron came over to the table with two cups of steaming coffee in her hands and passed it to them. "Don't worry, Foreman. You'll have your chance to sleep with Chase. Just get your hands on some crystal meth and tell Chase that you'll have drinks with him, like I did."

"You're starting to sound like House," Foreman remarked before graciously accepting the cup of coffee from her. Ever since Cameron forgave him and Chase for making fun of her date, he had been more considerate. Nothing made him want to go back to House's attempts of making coffee—or even worse, Chase's.

"Well, I _am_ a great teacher," House said as he walked in, having beaten his high score. He limped over to the coffee machine with his red mug in hand and poured himself a cup. After adding two packets of sugar and stirring it, he limped back towards the table where the other three doctors sat. Standing to the side of Cameron's chair, he took a sip of his coffee then set his mug next to her. "_You_, on the other hand, are starting to dress like me." When Foreman scoffed at House's comment, House continued, "You're wearing my shoes."

Foreman looked down at his feet, then at House's. House was right; they were indeed wearing the same brand of sneakers. Not being able to think of anything to say in response, he simply shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

"Does Cuddy have any interesting cases for us?" Chase asked.

"You mean you don't know? I thought you had her on speed dial. Or did that relationship end when Vogler left?" House replied sarcastically.

Cameron smiled while Chase opened and closed his mouth, looking very much like a fish, as he tried to think of a comeback. Distracted by the hilarity of Chase's expression, she brought House's red mug to her lips and took a drink without thinking. Foreman, who had been just gotten up to throw his cup away, noticed this and stopped halfway out of his seat.

"Is there some reason that you can't stand up all the way, Dr. Foreman? Or should I go to the whiteboard and start the differential on you?" House asked.

Foreman ignored him and stared at Cameron. "Cameron, why are you drinking out of House's mug?"

Cameron, who had just taken another mouthful, froze and looked up at him. Realizing what she was doing, she spit the liquid back into the cup and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her lab coat. She immediately handed it back to House.

"Eww. I'm not drinking it _now_," House replied with a face of disgust. He headed to the sink and dumped it out. He nonchalantly rinsed it out and poured himself another cup, curious to see how Cameron would respond.

Before Cameron could think of a reasonable explanation, Foreman turned his attention towards House. "And you. You're usually the first person to notice something out of the ordinary. How did _you_ not notice that Cameron was using your mug? Unless…you _did_ notice but didn't find it strange. That means that Cameron using your mug is normal." He paused as the truth dawned on him, "Wait a minute. Are you two…?" He gestured at the both of them, pointing his fingers inwards and outwards.

"I'm guessing from your slack-jawed expression and finger waving, you mean 'together?'" House responded calmly as he turned around, sipping his coffee. "Yeah, we are. Anything else you want to know about my personal life, or is sharing time over?" He limped back towards the trio, set his mug on the table, and looked at the two men matter-of-factly.

Chase looked at House and then at Cameron, reverting back to doing his fish imitation. "Oh my god, I thought…" He stopped, unable to process the idea of House and Cameron being a couple.

"Don't worry. I'll still let you play with her. But only _I_ can kiss her." As if to emphasize his point, he turned Cameron's chair around so that she was facing him, bent down, and kissed her passionately. Shocked at this sudden show of affection, Cameron sat frozen in his embrace. Before she could kiss him back, House let go of her, grabbed his cane, and headed out the doors.

Cameron watched him leave with a slightly dazed expression on her face. After a moment, she let out a dreamy sigh and picked up the mug that House had left behind, draining the rest of it. When she was done, she grinned widely and faced the still shell-shocked men, asking, "So, who wants more coffee?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: ** I realize that the relationship is progressing, according to some, rather slowly. Don't worry. The fun is just getting started now that the secret is out! You know the deal: please comment :D

* * *

Everyone in the hospital knew about House and Cameron within hours: from the doctors to the nurses—even the janitors. In fact, even some of the patients heard about it and reveled in knowing this juicy bit of gossip even though most of them had no clue who either person was—all thanks to Foreman and Chase's inability to keep the bit of news to themselves. Once Wilson found out, House knew that there was no way he could avoid him. Avoiding Cuddy was one thing. But dodging both Cuddy _and _Wilson? That was near impossible, especially since Wilson knew all his secret hideouts.

"I KNEW IT!" Wilson bellowed, slightly out of breath from having run up all the stairs to the roof. His face was flushed from the exertion, and House could see him almost glowing with glee.

"Wow, so you found out that Cuddy really _is _a man, didn't you? What did you do? Follow her into the little girls' room?" House responded, acting as though he had no clue what Wilson was referring to.

"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. I _knew_ that you were sleeping with Cameron."

"Correction. You _knew _nothing. You didn't have a clue what was going on. But, nice try. Don't you know that hindsight is always twenty-twenty?"

"Okay, fine. I knew that you had a woman. I just didn't think it was Cameron. So, what did you do? Read her poetry? Buy her roses? Oh, wait. You don't do romance. You've been drugging her, haven't you?" Wilson said, jokingly. However, he knew that House did have at least one romantic bone in his body. House did, after all, buy that corsage for Cameron on their first date.

"Trade secret. If I tell you, I'll have to kill you." Looking around as if there were hidden surveillance cameras, House put his finger to his lips then gestured Wilson closer, as if he was going to tell him a secret. When Wilson was close enough, he paused dramatically. Then, he took a deep and audible breath, yelling, "I'M NOT TELLING!"

Wilson jerked away, clutching his ears. House chuckled at Wilson's gullibility. Did Wilson really think that he'd spill the beans?

"Fine. Don't tell me. I still can't believe you two kept it hidden from the rest of us for so long. I would've thought that Cameron would be blabbing to the boys the instant you two got together. She sure didn't seem so tight-lipped about your first date."

"Yes, well, this time, I have learned how to control my woman."

"How…macho…of you."

Before Wilson could continue his interrogation, Cuddy came through the door. "I thought I'd find you two here. Next time you want to hide from me, make sure that Wilson keeps a lower profile instead of rushing around the hospital with a foolish grin on his face."

House glared at Wilson. Wilson reciprocated with a shrug.

"So, I guess that now that you are involved with a member of your own team, I should transfer her into another department…" Cuddy started.

House held his breath. He had been waiting for this. He still hadn't figured out how he could manipulate Cuddy into letting Cameron stay; but he knew that he'd find some way to get his way eventually.

"…but I think she will do you some good and keep you from hassling the patients as much. Plus, I just know that I'd end up regretting trying to take her away from you. So, you can forget the scheming."

"Shucks." House jutted out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout. But deep down, he was relieved.

"Now, go back down and go do something. Find another patient to annoy. But first, you should go find Cameron and tell her the good news. I do believe she is hiding in one of the exam rooms. She's already taking on some of your habits. I can't really blame her, though. Since you're not available, Cameron has been the target of all the staring and whispering."

"Yes, mistress Cuddy monster," House said, feigning the tone of a petulant child. With that, he limped through the door, hearing Cuddy ask Wilson, "Did he just call me Cuddy monster?"

House did indeed find Cameron hiding in one of the exam rooms. However, rather than playing a video game or watching television like House would, Cameron was actually examining a patient. She had tried to pass the time with one of House's videogames; but she couldn't stand the idea of being unproductive and shirking her job.

"Excuse me," the female patient said in an annoyed and slightly embarrassed voice. She quickly drew the sides of her blouse together.

"No worries. Nothing there that I haven't seen before. Plus, if you haven't heard by now, I'm only interested in seeing _her _babies," House replied, pointing to Cameron's chest.

"House!" Cameron crossed her arms across her chest, feeling exposed.

"Well, everyone knows that you and I are…you know…_together_," House said dramatically. "I'm just reiterating. Anyways, I came here to tell you some good news. But I'm not going to tell _you_." House gave a pointed look at the patient. She gave a scoff of indignation as if to say that _she _was not the type to gossip; yet, she had been staring intently at the two of them, without even trying to act busy. "Come on. Let's go somewhere." House took Cameron by the hand, dragging her through the doorway.

"What about me?" the patient asked.

"You've got a cold, just like everyone else in this place. I hear that they sell cold medicine over the counter, nowadays. You should try one of them," House replied without looking back as the door shut behind him and Cameron.

Cameron yanked her hand out of House's grasp, not wanting to cause a scene. She followed up into the elevator. Expecting to go to House's office, Cameron walked to the back of the empty elevator and waited for House to push a button. House pulled the emergency stop button, forcing Cameron to catch herself as she pitched forward from the sudden halt.

"What are you doing? Someone might need to use the elevator," Cameron made a move towards the panel of buttons; but House positioned himself in front of it, preventing her from doing anything.

"That, my dear, is why they have more than one elevator in this place."

Cameron gave a resigned sigh and asked, "So, what is the good news that is so important that you couldn't tell me in your office?"

"We couldn't go to my office because Wilson would just barge in. Plus, I do have glass walls."

"Fine, tell me the news."

"My, someone's testy. If you're going to be like that, I won't tell you either." Cameron glared at him. "But because you are my woman, I shall tell you. You don't have to worry about Cuddy removing you from the team. She seems to think that you'd have a better chance of keeping in line now that you're my _girlfriend_." He voiced the word with mock reverence, as though he was a young teenage boy who had just gotten his girlfriend.

"I wish that were true. But, truly, I'm glad that I get to stay. I know how much you hate interviewing. And plus, now that I'm dating my boss, I'm looking forward to some side benefits." She gave him a playful wink and stepped close enough for him to wrap his free arm around her waist. "Of course, I better be the _only _member on the team to get these kinds of benefits. I know that Chase and Foreman aren't your type; but, Chase _is _rather pretty and you might change your mind." House gave her a look of disgust.

"Boys have cooties. I'll stick with you," House responded.

"Good." Cameron stood on her tiptoes and gently grazed his lips with hers. It was soft, surprising for a man who prided himself of appearing hard and rude. While she teased him with her kisses, she slowly reached behind him and released the emergency stop button and the elevator continued upwards. House lifted his head upon feeling the elevator jerk back into motion.

"Sneaky," he said appreciatively.

"I learn from the best." With one final peck, she pulled herself out of his embrace and straightened her clothes. She winked at him as she went out the elevator doors at the laboratory floor, leaving House alone in the elevator with a smile on his face.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Yes, I'm back. Hopefully, this will make some of you happy. Since it seems that I am finally done with school, I can get back to writing. Obviously, a lot has happened on the show since I've last written. So, I am just going to ignore the TV House world and focus on my own little House/Cameron world. Hope I still have some of you on the reading list. Dear readers, please enjoy.

* * *

Waking up with Cameron in his arms had started to become a welcomed habit in the morning. Over the past few weeks, things had been incident-free. The only change in their relationship was subtle with Cameron slowly starting to leave some of her belongings at his house. Of course, she didn't want to completely overwhelm him, so she still went to her own apartment every now and then. House knew that it was for his benefit, but he missed her terribly on the nights he spent without her. But, he still couldn't get himself to ask her to stay. He was still afraid of making the same mistake of rushing things, as he had with Stacey. And since he didn't want his relationship with Cameron to end up being like the nonexistent one he had with Stacey, he kept himself from making any suggestions about her moving in just yet.

"Hey, stranger," Cameron yawned as she stretched her arms above her head and faced House.

"Good morning," House whispered, gently grazing her forehead with his lips.

"Mmm. You're prickly," Cameron said, bringing her hand up to his beard and feeling the rough texture of his whispers.

House covered her hand with his. "Want me to shave?" House asked in a half-joking manner.

"Never. You just wouldn't be my House without the scruff. Plus, you wouldn't shave just because I asked you to," she said with a laugh as she rolled out of bed to get ready for work.

"Yes, I would. I'd do anything for you," House said quietly to himself.

"Did you say something?" Cameron asked, coming out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth.

"No."

"Okay, well, hurry up. We're running late."

"But I'm always late."

"Not on my watch. Cuddy is counting on me to at least keep you somewhat in line. That reminds me. Did you hear that Cuddy was sleeping with one of the patients?"

"Yeah."

"Who do you think it is?"

"No one."

Cameron tilted her head and gave him a questioning look.

"I just started that rumor so people would stop talking about how I conned you into going out with me. Maybe you should prove that it was the other way around by making out with me in the lobby," House suggested with an exaggerated wink.

Cameron rolled her eyes and went back into the bathroom. Seconds later, he felt a wet towel hit his face.

"Yeah, that's real mature. You should start acting like a grown-up!" House yelled, holding the dripping towel away from the bed so that the sheets didn't get wet.

"You first!" Cameron yelled back.

* * *

When they got to the hospital, they could hear the rapid clicks of Cuddy's heels quickly approaching them.

"House! I am going to kill you!" Cuddy yelled, upon seeing him. Then, she turned to Cameron and said in a more normal voice, "Hi, Cameron. I'm going to borrow your man for a while. But, I can't promise to return him in one piece." She smiled, then yanked on House's free arm.

House looked at Cameron pleadingly as he was dragged away, but she just gave him a wink and headed upstairs.

"Traitor!" House yelled at Cameron's back. Cameron just gave him a little wave without turning around.

* * *

Back in the dean of medicine's office, Cuddy's face had turned even redder than before. It hadn't helped that as she was dragging House back to the privacy of her office, House kept reassuring the patients in the clinic that the dean of medicine didn't _always_ treat the cripples in this manner—only the special ones.

"House, how could you spread a rumor like that?"

"What rumor?" House replied, batting his eyelashes.

"You know damn well what rumor. Having people think that I am sleeping with the patients does not help maintain the reputation of this hospital. We already have to make up for the fact that _you _are on the staff. We can't have yet another doctor practicing inappropriate behavior."

"Wait…You're sleeping with _patients_? As in plural? Wow, Cuddy, you must _really _be lonely. Does poor little miss Cuddy need a 'friend' outside of the hospital?" House pouted with his lower lip jutted out.

"That is none of your business," Cuddy responded, her cheeks flushing with something other than anger.

"Well, I would offer my services, but I can't." He paused dramatically, knowing that Cuddy was thinking that he would say it was because he was with Cameron. "I can't because…you just can't afford me and my _fabulous _sperm." And with that, he got out of his seat and headed for the elevators, leaving a shocked Cuddy behind.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **Hello. I am very sorry about how slowly I'm delivering these, but please bear with me. Please continue reviewing/commenting. I really enjoy the feedback. And once again, if you've got any tips or ideas, please let me know. Happy reading! (And since I'm still in the time of Season 3, Cameron will remain a brunette – unless I get a sudden urge to make her blonde for some reason. Who knows?) **Edited 8/29/08**: After putting up Chapter 17, I realized that I made a continuity error. The only change is the amount of time House and Cameron had been dating by this point (from six to three) since House's birthday is in June. So, this would make the assumption that House and Cameron have their first Valentine's Day in the next chapter incorrect. For those who realized this, you have a great eye for minute detail.

* * *

It started with one secret conversation in Wilson's office. As House was trying out new tricks with his cane, he caught a glance of an unmistakably familiar brown ponytail in Wilson's office. Leaning further back in his chair, he tried to get a better look at Cameron's doppelganger. His chair squeaked with the strain of his weight, which should have been warning enough for House to lean back forward; but he was too preoccupied with the fact that it was Cameron herself in Wilson's office. If the hair hadn't been enough of a giveaway, the woman was also wearing the earrings he had gotten Cameron as a sort of bribe for her to move in with him. She had been stalling the process because she still had the fear of having their relationship end up like his and Stacey's, even though he and Cameron had well passed the two-week mark and were already heading into their third month of dating. _Maybe I should have waited until after she moved in to give her the earrings_, House thought to himself.

At that moment, Cameron turned around and looked across the balcony, forcing House to quickly sit back up in order to avoid detection. He quietly cursed as the sudden weight on his leg caused it to act up. Kneading the muscles left in his thigh, he waited for Cameron to check up on him, knowing that she wouldn't be able to resist seeing if he had been spying. With his free hand, he opened his internet browser on his computer to some random adult website to establish his alibi. After a few seconds, he heard the clicking of a woman's high heel shoes approach his door. Eyes still glued to his computer screen in mock engrossment, he tensed in wait for Cameron to come in and say something.

"House, you are wanted in the clinic right now."

House looked up and saw another familiar female face. Slightly disappointed, he let out a great yawn and slowly turned to face Cuddy. "You interrupted some serious happy time, if you get what I'm saying," House said suggestively, raising his eyebrows.

"You better not be using our hospital computers to look at dirty pictures, House."

"But I'm not allowed to look at home. Apparently, Cameron doesn't like me looking at other girls."

Cuddy rolled her eyes and started to walk away. "Just go to the clinic, House, or else Cameron's going to have to do your hours. And I can_promise_ you that she will not be happy with you afterwards." With that, she opened and shut the glass door behind her with a satisfying sound. Without looking back, Cuddy secretly enjoyed the fact that she now had a better bargaining tool with which to get House to do his clinic hours. And now with House safely stowed away in the clinic, the rest of them could get started with the plan.

* * *

"Is House still in the exam room one?" Cameron asked as she entered the diagnostics room where everyone had gathered.

"No. He weaseled his way out of there, but I have Wilson keeping an eye on him now. I believe they're in the break room," Cuddy answered.

"I thought you had a nurse watching him," Chase said, looking up from his crossword puzzle.

"You really think House can't figure out a way to sneak past a nurse? They're already busy as it is. I had to send Wilson as backup just so that he could have a playtime buddy. It was the only way to keep him preoccupied and prevent him from ruining the surprise" Cuddy replied.

Cameron went to grab herself a cup of coffee, since Foreman still wasn't there.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Cuddy said. "Chase made that pot."

"Hey! It doesn't taste that bad. I had a cup of it and I survived."

"That's not saying much."

While Cuddy and Chase bickered, Cameron discreetly poured the coffee into the sink. When she was done, she interjected, "So, I'm assuming that Foreman went to go pick up the package. Why isn't he back yet?"

"I don't know. He should be back by now," Cuddy said, looking at her watch.

Just as she finished her sentence, an out-of-breath Foreman came through the door. "Sorry, I'm late. I almost got caught by House on the way up here. Apparently, he somehow got past Wilson also. I'm guessing he spiked Wilson's drink with something. Anyways, I had to take the stairs."

"Nice," Cuddy remarked. "Did he see you though?"

"I don't think so. Anyways, I sent security to watch him. They'll keep him busy for a while. I told them to challenge him at a game of foosball. House can't resist a bet even if his life depended on it."

"You are a genius. Now, let's see the goods," Chase said as though he were a kid on Christmas morning.

Everyone turned towards the center of the table where the brown box was just waiting to be opened.

"Calm down, Chase. It's not _your_ present. It's House's," Cameron said, laughing at Chase's eagerness.

"Then_I_ should be the one to open it," a voice said from behind them. House limped into the room, reveling in the four shocked faces that greeted him. "Never try to play a player," House said with a pompous smirk.

Cameron walked in front of him, blocking him from completely seeing the box. "How did you get past our line of defense?"

"I totally annihilated them at foosball. By the way, someone might want to wake up Dr. Wilson. He's still sleeping on the couch. Sleeping on the job. Tsk tsk tsk."

"You bribed them didn't you?" Cameron said, knowingly.

"My lips are sealed." House said, drawing his pinched thumb and index finger across his lip.

"Funny," Cameron replied as if talking to a mischievous toddler. "Well, before we let you see it, I have something to tell you."

Pretending to unzip his lips, he asked, "What?"

"I'm pregnant."

House's jaw dropped open – as did the three behind her.

Before House could even react or say anything, she quickly said, "Just kidding. I owed you one. Told you I'd get you back for that 'I love you' trick you played on me." And with that, she moved out of the way so that House could open the box.

Everyone let the breath they had been holding out, and House's mind started to whirl with ideas for revenge. Cameron saw the conniving look on his face and remarked, "Don't even think about it."

House put his thoughts on hold and focused back on the present. "What is this for? My birthday was last week; and I don't think it's our anniversary. Even if it was our anniversary, why would you have everyone else involved? Unless…you're into orgies or something." House paused as though he were contemplating the idea. After a moment, he continued. "Only if we get rid of the boys and make it a threesome," he said with a wink directed at Cuddy's breasts. Cuddy discreetly tugged on her shirt.

Cameron blushed, but forced herself to ignore his purposely explicit comment and said sternly, "Just open it, you idiot. It's your birthday present from all of us. We knew you were expecting something on your birthday, so we waited to give it to you."

House opened his mouth in preparation to prove how ridiculous it was for them to try and outsmart him, but stopped at Cameron's pointed look. With a dramatic sigh, he leaned his cane against the table and started to rip away the tape. Chase leaned forward in excitement, even though he already knew what was in there while Foreman gave Chase a disgusted look. Cuddy leaned back in her chair, feigning disinterest even though she too was anticipating House's reaction to what they got him.

Finally, all the tape was gone and House lifted the flaps. Nestled inside the bed of bubble wrap was a brand new PS3. By this time, Cameron had withdrawn the other hidden presents from inside the office and placed them on the table. There before House's eyes lay Rock Band and Guitar Hero III. Before he had a chance to wipe off the look of surprise and childlike glee, a camera flashed in his face. Through the temporary multicolored spots that developed, he saw Cameron slipping the digital camera back into her coat pocket. "Just in case," she said innocently.

Everyone began to laugh and poke fun at House. Amidst all the smug "we got you, House" talk, Wilson came stumbling in, still slightly loopy from the drugs House had slipped into his coffee.

"God, why do I always end up missing the good part?" Wilson asked, his speech slurred before collapsing on the floor, snoring.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**: Yes, I know it's been a while. My only excuse is that I had writer's block and the show has given me no inspiring House/Cameron moments. Also, I did start a CSI: NY fanfic. So, I apologize for the long wait periods. Of course, it doesn't help that Cameron barely gets any screen time anymore. As a result, my story is going to veer further from the actual TV plotline (since the show still seems to be more Cameron/Chase). I know it's be eons since I've last written, and I'm slightly cheating here in that I'm using a mini-story I wrote previously (but edited to fit better into the storyline I set up). But I think it's time. If you've read the HouseCameron MiniStories, this will seem familiar. Happy reading!

* * *

Cameron woke up the instant her alarm went off. She jerked up into a sitting position, her stomach full of nervous little flutters. Friday, February the 14th. For her, it may as well have been Friday the 13th. She had anticipated this day with dread ever since the relationship between her and House had developed into something serious. Knowing that House was _not _the most romantic of souls, she was not expecting much. For all she knew, he didn't even believe in Valentine's Day; and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but secretly hope that House would do the unexpected and sweep her off her feet.

Things had been going well, especially after she had surprised him with the PS3. Although sometimes she sensed that he wanted her to move in, she still couldn't get over the fact that he had yet to tell her how he felt. She knew that he cared about her, but she wanted more. And he had yet to do anything to completely quell her doubts about his feelings for her, especially when she herself knew that she had already fallen in love with him. It also didn't help her nerves that House had insisted that they spend the night apart. She couldn't tell if it was because he didn't want to get her hopes up or if he was really planning something spectacular. She quickly suppressed the anticipation blossoming from the pit of her stomach. No need to set herself up for possible and probable disappointment.

With a determined expression on her face, she got ready for work, adding a dab more makeup than usual and taking out the curlers she'd put in her hair the night before. No matter what House chose to do, or _not_ do, she wanted this day to be different. If House _did_ decide to surprise her with dinner plans, at least she would be ready. If he didn't, well, at least she would brave through the day, looking a little more glamorous. Giving up her normal outfit of a matching vest and pants set, she put on a whimsical blouse and a knee-length skirt. It was still professional, but it was _different_. And _that _was all that mattered. It wouldn't be just any other day. Seeing that she was running later than usual, she quickly grabbed her coat and car keys. With one last check in the mirror, she headed out the door and drove to work.

Cameron walked into the conference room to surprisingly find all three men sitting there. Foreman and Chase had come in earlier than normal just in case House _did_ decide to do something romantic. If he did, they wanted to be there and witness it. It would make the juiciest piece of gossip; and neither man wanted to miss it. Plus, they were both a bit peeved that House had a girl while they didn't; they had to at least get _something_ out of this situation.

House was sitting there, busily watching _General Hospital_ on his handheld TV. When he heard Cameron's heels, he looked up, took in her appearance, and let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Nice," he said, drawing out the word as he teasingly leered at her. Then, his eyes went back to the TV screen.

Cameron gave a weak smile and went to her office to hang her coat and set down her bag. She grabbed her lab coat, took a deep breath to prepare herself for a disappointing Valentine's Day, then went back out into the conference room. Foreman and Chase were both putting off their clinic hours as long as they could, waiting for House to make a move. Chase was pretending to do a crossword puzzle while Foreman was leafing through a medical journal. After an unusually silent hour of watching House stare at his TV screen and Cameron read her book, the two of them gave up and finally left for clinic duty.

When the other two had left, Cameron slightly tensed up in anticipation. Maybe now that the boys were gone, he would finally acknowledge the fact that it was Valentine's Day and do _something_ other than watching his silly soap opera. Finally, after the show had ended, House got up.

"I'm guessing from your fancy attire that you know it's Valentine's Day today," House remarked as he walked to the white board and picked up a pen.

"Yes," Cameron admitted hesitantly. She didn't say anything more, waiting to see what House would do next.

"Well, I've got a special case that I need your consult on."

"Oh, okay," Cameron replied, in a slightly deflated voice. "What are the symptoms?"

House turned back around and started writing. A minute later, House capped his pen and moved aside for Cameron to see what he had written on the board.

-Stomach flutters

-Periods of high blood pressure

-Weak knees

-Distractedness

-Unusual possessiveness

-Moments of difficulty breathing

-Unnaturally content and happy with his life

Cameron looked at the symptoms, a bit confused. "I don't think I've ever heard of any illness with these symptoms. Do you know who the patient is? I could go take a family history for you."

"Well, you wouldn't have to go very far. I'm the patient."

"You are? Are you okay?"

"Geez, Cameron. I'm trying to be romantic here and tell you that I love you." House went back to the board and started erasing.

"Wait…I don't get it."

"These are all _obvious_ symptoms of lovesickness! C'mon, do I have to spell it out for you? _This_ is why I shouldn't try to be romantic. One of the biggest moments in our relationship, and you don't get it. Just forget it."

"Ahh. I see," Cameron smiled widely. She walked up to House and stilled his hand. She waited until he faced her. "So, you love me, huh?"

"Yeah," House muttered, turning back towards the board.

She brought her hand up to his face, forcing him to look at her. "Well, you already know that _I _love you."

"Wouldn't hurt for you to say it."

Cameron took the eraser out of his hand and set it down. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck, making him lean down as she stood on her tiptoes. She brought her lips very close to his ears and whispered, "I love you. Thank you very a beautiful Valentine's Day."

Then, she leaned back and pulled him down for a kiss. Cameron knew that it wasn't exactly appropriate to kiss your boss at work, but it wasn't every day that he told you that he loved you. Plus, it was House—something romantic out of him was as likely as Wilson _not_ flirting with one of the nurses.

It was at this moment that Foreman and Chase walked back in, having gotten a case from Cuddy. Foreman was the first one in. When he saw House and Cameron, he suddenly stopped, causing Chase to run into him. The two of them looked like something out of the Three Stooges. Chase looked over Foreman's shoulder to see what made him stop. House and Cameron pulled away from each other slightly, still in each others' arms, and regarded the other two with amusement.

"I _told_ you we should've come back up sooner," Chase told Foreman smugly.

Cameron just laughed and went back to kissing the love of her life.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note**: So, as was pointed out, I may have implied/written that they had already moved in together. This was not intentional since I think moving in should warrant at least a chapter. Think about how much trouble/fun it would be for the pair to merge. By the way, I did draw some inspiration from a Hodgins/Angela moment from "Bones." So, for people also fans of "Bones", some of the dialogue might ring a bell. Happy reading!

* * *

Ever since confessing his feelings for Cameron, House felt as if a weight had been lifted off of him. If anyone could read his mind, they could almost say that he was happy – well, as happy as House could be. Cameron was on cloud nine, and House planned on using her state of vulnerability to his advantage. It was time to insist on the merging of living situations.

"Hey, House," Foreman said, waving his hand in front of House's face.

House refocused his attention to the matter at hand. Cameron was standing at the board with marker in hand. She had already listed the symptoms of their current patient. The other members of the team were still sore over the fact that Cameron was able to touch the white board. House looked into Cameron's eyes for a second, and her eyes softened in response for a moment before she tapped the board.

"Sorry, kids. Just trying to decide which teddy Cameron will be wearing tonight." House gave a subtle wink at Cameron, while the men stared at her to see how she would respond. Cameron, refusing to be provoked, just simply rolled her eyes.

"Let's focus on the case, boys. House doesn't need to worry about what teddy I'll be wearing tonight, since he'll be on the couch."

Chase let out a snicker. Foreman let out a cough. House just smiled with pride. Finally, the four of them got back to business and set about solving the case of Damien Lee – or as House thought of him, "Surfer Dude that's Really Sick."

* * *

Coming off of a long shift at the hospital, House and Cameron collapsed on the couch in House's apartment. Unable to move, they sat there absorbing the aching muscles from a tiring day at work. They had left Foreman and Chase at the hospital to monitor Damien for the night – sometimes dating the boss had its perks. On any other day, Cameron would have refused the special treatment; but she had had an early start, catching up on clinic hours and paperwork.

Cameron sat up briefly to grab a heating pad for House's leg, knowing that he was suffering in silence. After placing it on his injured leg, she sunk back into the cushions. House lifted his arm, making room for her to rest her head on his shoulder. She scooted over, welcoming the feel of his arm around her. It was quiet moments like these where she felt close to House. Trading zingers with him was fun; but the moments away from others where House wasn't afraid to let his softer side show were her favorite. Cameron closed her eyes and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Sensing that Cameron was in a good mood, House broke the silence with the thought that had been with him all day. "I think we should move in together."

No response. Thinking that she needed more convincing, he forged on. "My closet and dresser is filled with your stuff. At least half. You know the rule: over half means that you're basically already living with me. It's just a matter of making it official."

Cameron's eyes remained closed, and her mouth remained shut.

"Plus, we rarely spend time at your apartment. I'm closer to work – and my place is much bigger. And, your lease is almost up, so you might as well just move in with me instead of renewing it."

House, unable to think of anything else to add to entice her, waited for her to reply. He looked down at her expectantly. The only response he got was a barely audible snore. House sighed in reluctant acceptance over the fact that she had missed his entire you-should-move-in-with-me speech. He'd just have to wait for another day when she wasn't so tuckered out. Gently settling into a more comfortable position, he carefully laid his head atop of hers and closed his eyes as well.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note**: Dear readers, thanks for the reviews. I appreciate the time it takes to write them. In other news, hope you are staying warm. It sure is getting chilly. And as always: happy reading.

* * *

House woke up with the sensation of millions of tiny needles poking into his arm, a kink in his neck, and an undeniable need to use the bathroom. Rising slowly from the couch, he used his working arm to rub out the stiffness from the back of his neck. A blanket slipped down his chest and onto the floor. He looked down: he had somehow miraculously changed into his pajamas. Cameron.

Now that he was more awake, he realized that his place was entirely too quiet. Where was his better half? House groaned as he eased himself off of the couch. The ever-present pain in his leg made itself known, forcing House to pause for a moment to rub the stiffness away. House gritted his teeth as he stroked his thigh, massaging the dull ache until he could manage to stand up without too much discomfort.

The aroma of eggs and bacon reached his nostril and distracted him from the lingering soreness of his body. Another perk of being with Cameron: he didn't have to survive on leftover takeout or slightly stale cereal. A yellow post-it note was stuck onto the rim of the plate. House recognized Cameron's handwriting from the girly curl of the "G".

_House,_

_Got up early to give Chase and Foreman a break. Eat your breakfast. I'll see you at work._

_Love you,_

_Cameron._

And for once, House didn't mind obeying orders as he gave a satisfied sigh while he scarfed down the pile of food on the plate.

While he finished off the last of the perfectly crisp bacon, House was coming up with a plan. He hadn't lost his desire to convince (or trick) Cameron into moving with him. Since the previous night had been a failure, House decided that verbal persuasion was no longer an option. Plus, he didn't think he could do the speech again, especially with her being completely conscious. He was a direct and straightforward man; but the idea of having to go through that again and possibly get rejected made him uncomfortable. He didn't like asking something that he didn't know the answer to.

After dumping the dirty dishes into the sink, he called the exterminator and convinced the guy to pretend that Cameron's apartment needed fumigating. Although he was now out five hundred bucks, it was worth every penny to get Cameron to move in with him. Grabbing his car keys and wallet, he hurried out of his apartment to meet the exterminator at Cameron's apartment.

* * *

It took an hour for the exterminator to set up the tarps and appropriate caution tapes to make it look realistic enough to convince Cameron should she get suspicious and come back to her apartment. Once House was satisfied, he made the exterminator call Cameron.

House grabbed the other man's cell phone, punched in Cameron's extension, and handed the phone back. Cameron picked up after two rings.

"Hello, Dr. Cameron speaking."

"Hello, ma'am. My name is Jack Dickerson. I'm sorry to inform you that there has been a report of a pest infestation in your apartment building that needs to be taken care of right away. We will have to fumigate your apartment today, and we need you to remove any necessary personal belongings before we start. You will be able to return to your apartment in a week or so."

"Do you have to do it today? I am unable to come down there at the moment."

"Yes, ma'am, we do. Your apartment is the first on my list since you are on the ground floor. Is there someone you can call to come get your belongings?"

"Uh, yes. Hold on. Let me call him and have him meet you there. If you could just have him take out everything that may get damaged, I would appreciate it."

"All right, ma'am. I'll be here waiting. Thank you for your time."

Jack hung up the phone and looked at House. "Do you want me to really fumigate her apartment? That will cost you extra."

"No, that won't be necessary. Here's your money. Don't spend it all in one place." House handed Jack five 100 dollar bills, which Jack took eagerly. Without so much as a thank you, Jack rushed to his van and drove away.

Within seconds, House's cell phone vibrated. House waited a few seconds before picking up.

"Good morning, oh apple of my eye."

"Very funny, House. I've got a problem. I need you to go to my apartment and get some of my stuff out of there. Apparently, there's a pest problem in my building, and they need to fumigate. Can you just grab stuff I'll need and put anything that may get ruined in storage for me? I need about a week's worth of stuff."

"You sure are asking a lot of me. Someone's going to owe me big time," House replied, jokingly.

"Right. If you'd like, I could do it myself and you can come here and take care of all the paperwork, watch over the patient, and do your clinic hours."

House mentally shuddered at the thought. "Umm, no thanks. Fine. I guess I can do this for you," House said with an over-dramatic sigh, faking reluctant acceptance. "I'll call you when it's done."

House hung up and grinned. All he had to do was hire some movers to clear out her apartment, and his plan would be a success. Sure, she may get mad at him temporarily for tricking her; but, he had over a week to get her used to the idea of living with him permanently.

* * *

Cameron smiled as she placed the phone back into the charger. How naïve did House think she was? As if she would really believe that there was a pest infestation in her apartment building. She had to give him points for being creative, though.

Last night, she had not been completely unconscious when he had made his speech. It had made her heart swell to see him put himself in the vulnerable position of asking her to move in with him. The fact that he would do so even when it made him uncomfortable made it all the more endearing. She knew the gesture was for her sake. So, she feigned sleep and gave him the chance to do it his way. Having him "trick" her into moving with him allowed him to keep his pride. _Plus_, Cameron admitted to herself, _payback would be fun_. Realizing that House was rubbing off on her, she laughed silently and went back to work.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note**: Thank you for sticking with me and for all the reviews! You have no idea how nice it is to get such positive feedback. Don't worry. The romance will be back soon. I think it's time that Cameron had a little fun. Happy reading and happy holidays!

* * *

House finally limped his way through the hospital doors six hours late. Cuddy awaited him, her toes making rhythmic clicking noises against the floor.

"You are so busted," Cuddy said, her arms folded across her chest.

"Nice bra. Black lace is definitely your color," House replied, with a leer at her chest. Without even a moment of hesitation, he continued his way to the elevators.

Cuddy looked down and realized that she had inadvertently given House a better look down her shirt. She quickly lowered her arms as she followed House closely. "Where have you been? I've been paging you all day."

"Why didn't you ask my team? They've got pagers, too." House used his cane to push the "up" button.

"Foreman and Chase have been off playing detective and breaking into your patient's apartment. Plus, even if they had picked up the phone, they wouldn't have known where you were anyways. Cameron has been swamped with paperwork and clinic duty. The only thing she told me was that her apartment is getting fumigated and you were going to grab some of her things for her. But that doesn't take _six_ hours."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Cuddy and House both walked in. Another doctor was about to follow them in, then realized who were already in there and decided to take the next one up. If Cuddy was going to start yelling, he didn't want to get in the way. House gave the other doctor a knowing look and winked. Cuddy saw this and just rolled her eyes.

"So, what were you doing?" Cuddy repeated.

"Apparently, a lot of stuff can get damaged from fumigations. I had to store everything just in case. I don't want Cameron to get mad at me if something should happen to her stuff."

"You took _everything_? You mean her apartment is completely empty right now?" House nodded. "That's insane. She's going to kill you. You know what? I'm not even going to do anything to punish you for being so late. What Cameron will do to you for rifling through her things and making her have to put everything back is torture enough. I can't wait to see her reaction to all this."

House hid his panic as they walked out of the elevator. He wanted to make some snide remark, but his mind blanked. What if his latest stunt was too much for Cameron? He knew she loved him, but they had both agreed to take things slow as to not let history repeat itself. Cameron wouldn't believe that House had in fact not looked through her things. He cared too much about Cameron to invade her privacy like that, knowing that she probably kept some things from her late husband. His feelings for Cameron outweighed his need to satisfy his curiosity. He could always put some of her stuff back, but he didn't remember where they went. He had made his decision to basically force her to move in with, and he'd just have to stick with the plan of winning her over.

Cuddy secretly smiled at House's silence. The fact that he was unable to reply with a witty comeback meant that he was worried over how Cameron would respond. She slowed down her pace and let House walk into his office alone. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't realized that Cuddy was no longer behind him. Making sure that he wasn't watching or within earshot, Cuddy went around the corner and dialed Cameron's cell phone.

"Hey Cameron, it's me. Your plan's off to a great start. He's completely panicked now. Yeah. He took everything. The entire apartment is empty. At least now you don't have to pack everything up and move it out yourself. Anyways, I have to go update Wilson. I can't wait to see House's face when he realizes that he's been played. It's time he got a taste of his own medicine. Talk to you later." Cuddy hung up, feeling slightly giddy. House had gotten the best of her so many times; it was nice to not be on the receiving end for once. She took a brief moment to calm herself then made her way to back to her office, where Wilson was waiting.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note**: I understand that House's actions were a bit extreme. But, you have to admit, it does seem like something he could do. (Also, if you hadn't realized by now, I am very much of a non-planning-ahead type of writer. What pops up in my head is what ends up getting written. I think I may have to start making outlines or something soon, or else my crazy ideas are going to get me in trouble.) Anyways, on with the story. And as always, please review!

* * *

"I think I made a huge mistake," House said as he barged through Wilson's office door, having jumped across the adjoining balconies.

"You're right. That shade of blue does nothing for your eyes. You should have gone lighter, like that shirt you wore on your first date with Cameron. It absolutely made your eyes sparkle," Wilson answered.

"Hey, I just admitted that I made a mistake here. Shouldn't you be on the phone calling everyone at this point?"

"You're right. I should, but what did you make a mistake about?"

House paused for a moment, trying to figure out just how to explain what he had done in the best possible light. Finding that there was no positive way to spin it, he decided to just tell the truth. "I bribed an exterminator to tell Cameron that her apartment needed fumigating and then moved out all her stuff."

Wilson feigned shock, having already been updated by Cuddy a while ago. Wilson took a few seconds as if to process the information, then said as calmly as he could, "And what was the point of this little prank?"

"It wasn't a prank, idiot. I was trying to get Cameron to move in with me." House rolled his eyes at Wilson, as if it was obvious.

"And you couldn't just ask her?"

"I did. Last night."

"What? Did you say no?"

"Not exactly…she fell asleep."

Wilson let out a laugh. "So, you were too afraid and impatient to ask her again and decided to just speed up the process without even telling her? You're right. You _did _make a huge mistake. Cameron's going to kill you."

"I've already heard this part. Can we move along to the part where you tell me what I should do to fix this when she finds out?"

"What makes you think I can help?"

"Come on. Your dying patients thank you for telling them that they're dying. And, you've got through like a billion wives – all of whom are still friends with you. This should be easy for you." House gripped his cane tighter and started pacing back and forth in front of Wilson's desk.

Wilson leaned back in his chair, lounging there as he watched House worry himself silly over a girl. It was joyful sight to see. Wilson stroked his chin, acting like he was considering House's options. Instead, he was thinking about how great it was for House to have finally found his match.

While House had been stewing in his office for an hour before finally coming to Wilson for help, Cameron had been getting in touch with the storage facility to go get her stuff. House wasn't the only one who was good at persuasion. It also helped that Cameron was very attractive, and the man who ran the storage facility was not used to having such a beautiful woman flirt with him. At this moment, Wilson imagined that Cameron was already moving the stuff she needed or wanted to bring with her into House's apartment. House would get the shock of his life when he went back to his apartment and saw the newly added feminine touches to his previously masculine bachelor pad. Too bad Wilson wouldn't be there to see it.

"Have you thought of something yet?" House asked, interrupting Wilson's train of thought.

Wilson snapped out of his stupor and refocused on House. "Uh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking really hard. I got it. You should buy her flowers. Women love flowers. And you should get her a present. Something nice, like jewelry. Women can't stay mad for long after getting some really expensive jewelry."

"Flowers and jewelry? That's your answer. I can't believe you're good with women. Maybe I should just have you tell her…" House said, getting a gleam in his eye.

"No way, House. This is _your _problem. Plus, she'd forgive you a lot faster if _you _were the one to tell her. Not me."

House sighed in defeat. "Flowers and jewelry it is. Here," House said, handing Wilson his credit card. "Go find something you think that Cameron would like, and charge it to my credit card. Your taste is better anyways."

Figuring that there was nothing else he could do, House went back to his office to sulk and prepare for his impending doom.

* * *

Wilson waited for House to disappear before calling Cameron. Reaching for his phone, he moved his chair far enough so that he could both be mostly out of House's sight and be able to see House in his peripheral vision should House decide to visit him again. Dialing Cameron's number from memory, Wilson hummed as he waited for her to pick up.

"Hey Wilson," Cameron said, slightly out of breath from the physical labor of moving stuff around and redecorating. Although the movers had done most of the heavy lifting, she was still left with the organizing. She hadn't brought any furniture out from storage, since House's apartment was already furnished. Also, she figured that she could get House to do that later, should she need anything. "What's House doing now?"

"He went back to his office. You owe me ten bucks, by the way. It only took him _one _hour, not two, for him to finally come see me."

"Wow, Cuddy must have done a good job of getting him worried."

"I guess acting is just one of her many talents. Oh, you're also getting flowers and a pair of diamond earrings, courtesy of House. Don't worry. He left the actual picking and choosing to me."

Cameron laughed as she placed her books in House's bookshelves. "How did that happen?"

"They're supposed to sweeten your mood before he tells you what he did."

"Nice. Thanks for the update. I got to let you go. I still have some more stuff to unpack, and then I have to rush back to the hospital before he realizes I'm not there."

"Okay. I just wish we could've prolonged his suffering for at least another day."

"You know that House would've found us out if we had kept this up any longer. You can only fool House, the master of games and trickery, for so long."

"Yeah, you're right. Anyways, I'll let you get back to your unpacking. Plus, I better enjoy this moment of peace and quiet, since House is bound to get back at me tomorrow."

"I'll see if I can do something about that. Thanks again for all the help, Wilson. And thank Cuddy for me, too."

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye."


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note**: Thank you so much for the kind words. As a token of appreciation, here is the next installment. Bon appétit and please keep leaving feedback.

* * *

House decided that he had finally done his portion of work for the day and got ready to go home. In between periods of holing up in his office, he had fought with Cuddy over his patient's treatment, sent Foreman and Chase to do tests and treatments, and beaten five more levels of his videogame. All in all, a busy day.

House went into the clinic, looking for Cameron. He hadn't seen her all day, what with trying to avoid her until he could figure out what to say to her. Wilson had come through with him on the flowers and earrings, having gone out on his break to go pick them up. He could feel the eyes of the hospital staff on him as he walked out the elevator to the ground floor with the huge bouquet of flowers in his hand. Even though the fact that he and Cameron were dating was old news, the idea of him being even remotely romantic was ludicrous. House ignored the stares and the whispers and he barged through the door of exam room one.

"Special delivery," House announced, his eyes only on Cameron.

"Um, House, I'm with a patient," Cameron's replied, gesturing to an elderly woman.

"That's okay, dearie. I can wait," a little old lady said reassuringly, patting Cameron's hand. "Oh, this is all so romantic. Your sweetheart got you flowers."

House looked at the patient. "I've never been called a sweetheart before. You really _do _need a doctor." Then, looking at Cameron, he said, "I'll be outside. Hurry up."

House left the room as suddenly as he had come in. There was no way he was going to stay in there and accidentally see 100-year-old fun bags. Thankfully, the only problem she had was a mild skin irritation to which Cameron treated with topical cream. After a couple minutes, the old lady shuffled out, with the help of Cameron's arm, and made her way out. As she passed House, she gave him a wink.

"I think she's hitting on me," House remarked to Cameron.

"Well, you're hot stuff. So, what's up with the flowers? Not that they're not nice. They're very nice. But did I forget something?" Cameron was about to take the flowers out of House's hands, but he stopped her.

"No. I'll just explain later. First, put on your jacket and scarf. I have your purse in my backpack. Let's get out of here."

Cameron traded the lab coat for her jacket and scarf and transferred her ID badge from the lab coat to her pant pocket. Once she was ready, House handed her the flowers. And since they were in the privacy of the exam room, he also planted a quick kiss on her awaiting lips before leading her outside.

Cameron couldn't keep from smiling as they made their way to the parking lot.

"Let's take your car. Wouldn't want to ruin the flowers."

"Okay."

The walk to her car wasn't far, since Cameron had come in early. House opened the door for her on the driver's side then climbed into the passenger side. Without a word, Cameron knew that his leg was acting up, since he normally drove. Cameron handed the flowers carefully back to House before starting up the car.

"So, now can you tell me?" Cameron asked, pulling out of her parking space.

"Let's play twenty questions. And if you get it right, I've got a prize right here." House shook the box in his pocket that held the earrings.

"Or, you could just tell me."

"C'mon. Don't be such a party pooper. I'll even throw in an IOU where I'll do whatever you want me to for a day."

"Really?" Cameron said dubiously.

"Anything. Longer than a day if they're sexual," House replied with a leer.

"Fine. I'll play. My laundry's been piling up," Cameron said, giving him an innocent look. "Did I forget an anniversary or something like that?"

"You're boring. And, no."

"Did you do something wrong?"

"Define 'wrong.'"

"Something that I would be upset over."

"Maybe."

"Something really wrong or something that's wrong but was done with good intentions?"

"That's not a yes or no question. So, that counts as two. And the answer is the second part."

"Should I forgive you?"

"Definitely."

"Should I hold this against you or forgive you immediately?"

"Once again, not a yes or no question. But I'll be nice and just count it as two. Forgive me immediately."

"If I had done this to you, would you be upset with me?"

"No. You know, we're almost home. You better hurry."

"If you did get upset at me for doing something like what you did to me, would you forgive me?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

Cameron could see House was getting suspicious with her line of questions, so she decided to give up the ruse. Plus, she'd get a day of him doing whatever she wanted, and she planned to use it wisely.

Pretending to think hard, she remained silent as she parked the car on House's street. Taking the key out of the ignition and undoing her seat belt, she leaned back in her chair and looked at him, smiling with a glint in her eye. House looked back, his eyebrow raised in expectation.

"Okay. Did you pretend that my apartment needed fumigation in order to get all my stuff out of the house, tell Wilson and Cuddy about it, then take Wilson's advice to buy me flowers and diamond earrings to soften the blow – all just so I would move in with you?"

House looked at her, speechless and in shock. Cameron laughed and leaned over to close his mouth. "Don't act so shocked. Did you really think you could get away with all that without me knowing? I know you too well. And I've got a surprise for you. Come on, 'sweetheart'. Let's go home."

House silently followed out of the car and up the front steps of his apartment, still a bit shell-shocked. He wasn't used to being the one duped. Cameron led him into the apartment and looked at House carefully to see his response.

House's jaw dropped for the second time. His apartment was now a hybrid of Cameron's and his. Even though it was all his furniture, he could see the little touches she had added to his apartment: framed photos, pillows, throws, books, and so on. Without even going into the bathroom, he already knew there was a bowl of potpourri and feminine products in there. He took it all in and couldn't help but be inexplicably happy. He couldn't even muster up any anger at the makeover she'd given his apartment, probably because she wasn't a frill and lace type of girl.

Cameron looked at him, a little worried over the fact that he still hadn't said anything. Also, she couldn't really see his face while he took in the changes. Finally, House turned to face her, and Cameron let go of the tension in her body upon seeing his goofy smile.

With a rather uncharacteristic giggle, she threw her arms around him and pulled him down for a kiss. And, House reciprocated whole-heartedly with equal fervor. When she came up for air, she whispered into his ear, "Gotcha," to which House just responded with a playful growl and dragged her to _their _bedroom.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note**: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming! I'm sorry I haven't been updating often. It's disheartening when one half of my favorite "House" couple is missing from the actual show. I probably won't update for a while, but I hope you will stick with me and be patient. :)

* * *

Cameron awoke with the feeling of someone staring at her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked toward House's side of the bed. Clear blue eyes met hers.

"Hi, roomie," House said, smiling. He leaned over to kiss her on the lips. Cameron wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, causing House to fall partially on top of her. He gave a slight "oomph" but continued to kiss her, bracing his arm against the bed as to not crush her.

Eventually, Cameron let him go and leaned back into the pillows knowing that if things got even hotter, neither of them would ever get out of bed. And unfortunately, there were sick people to save.

"Hey, you're missing some good stuff here," House said, disappointed that she'd ended the kiss.

"I know, but we've got work. Plus, aren't you even the tiniest bit excited to take revenge on Cuddy and Wilson?"

House paused. He _was _looking forward to giving those two a hard time; but in a competition of messing around with Cuddy and Wilson versus spending a day in bed with Cameron, it was obvious which would win.

"Not in the mood," he replied and went to work leaving a trail of kisses along her neck and bare shoulders. Cameron nearly gave in, but finally summoned up the willpower to push him away.

"I'll make you a deal," Cameron said to the now-pouting House. "We go to work now and on time, and I will finally get out my old Catholic school girl outfit."

That got House's attention. A huge smile of triumph lit up his face. "Amen to that."

***

Even though things had worked out better than he could've imagined with Cameron, it wouldn't be right if House didn't punish Wilson and Cuddy for their roles in the deception. House was the manipulator and hated being manipulated – unless it was by Cameron. Because with Cameron, he often enjoyed the endgame.

His first few plans had had to been scrapped because Cameron refused to participate. Cuddy and Wilson had only been helping her, so it would be traitorous to get back at them. This meant he couldn't count on Cameron to go crying to Wilson and Cuddy about how House had thrown her out because his pride had been hurt. So instead, he would just have to be satisfied with making their day a living hell – and just a day, since his heart wasn't really into it. Plus, Cameron wouldn't let him get away with any longer. In fact, he had a suspicion that she'd try to stop him from having his fun, so all his pranks would have to be under her radar.

The first thing House did when he got to his desk was make a phone call. Then, he sat back in his desk and waited for the predictable sound of his glass door opening soon to be followed by a bout of yelling. He didn't have to wait long.

"House!" Wilson yelled as he came into House's office, further angered by the fact that House was just lounging in his chair with his eyes closed and a satisfied smile on his face. "I'm going to kill you." Wilson was unable to say more, shocked speechless at House's latest antics.

"What?" House asked, innocently, which only made Wilson flush a deeper red and his breath quicken as he attempted to keep from exploding.

"You know what. You sent flowers to all my ex-wives with a card saying that I was still desperately in love with them and wanted to reconcile. My phone's been ringing nonstop.

"I sent a similar one to Cuddy, too."

"What?" Wilson asked in disbelief.

"Apparently, you confessed that you've been in love with her all these years, and seeing Cameron and I take the next step inspired you to do the same. Also, you want to be the father of her children and make her your last and final wife."

"She's not going to believe that I sent that," Wilson countered.

"You're right – if I had kept in the second part. But the secretly in love with part – we all know that _that _is true. You don't have to deny it any longer, Wilson. Everyone in the hospital has long suspected it. Plus, I'm very good at forging your handwriting," House said with a grin. "Oh, and just to show that you were sincere, you included two tickets to the theatre for the show tonight."

Wilson started getting flustered while trying to come up with a plausible denial. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh huh," House said, not believing his friend. He pushed away from his desk, his chair rolling backwards from the force. Grabbing his cane that was hanging on the edge, he eased himself to his feet and walked past Wilson towards the door. "Well, I have to go do doctor stuff, so I can't stay here and help you out with your date tonight. Sorry." House gave him a falsely sheepish shrug and left.

Wilson stared at the door, speechless.

***

"You know, those two really did you a favor," Cameron said as she placed another slide under the microscope.

"Hey, I'm doing them a favor, too. I'm _matchmaking_. I should be awarded." House moved closer so that he was right next to her leg.

Cameron paused for a moment, thinking about what House had done. In his own twisted way, House had helped out Wilson. Granted, calling Wilson's ex-wives hadn't been all that nice. But it was House, so one couldn't really measure him by normal standards. And, it wouldn't be House if he didn't do _something_ that was the tiniest bit wicked.

Cameron leaned away from the microscope and turned towards him. Removing her gloves and placing them neatly on the desk, she grabbed the sides of his suit jacket and pulled ever so gently. House got the message and leaned closer so that their faces were only a couple inches apart, bracing his weight with one hand on the desk. He grinned, happy in the knowledge that Cameron had caught his hint.

"You _should_ be rewarded for doing something remotely nice," Cameron whispered.

House agreed. "Yeah, just call me a saint. I hear Catholic school girls worship them," he replied, drawing closer so that their lips almost touched.

Cameron laughed and kissed him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note**: I kindly ask those who are _not_ House/Cameron fans to refrain from leaving comments that attack this pairing. You are welcome to criticize my writing. But to criticize the couple, in general, is a little disrespectful – to me and to those who read House/Cameron stories. Thanks. Anyways, on with the show. (More reflection than plot.) Thanks for those who have continued reading this (and leaving reviews). I really do appreciate it! And to as a reward, it's _two_ chapters a row!

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House walked into work with a huge grin on his face. Cameron had indeed kept her promise of dressing up as a Catholic school girl then followed it with other fantasies of his over the next few nights. Yes, House was enjoying the fact that they were roommates more and more.

It wasn't just the sex that he appreciated – though, that alone made him one happy camper. He secretly enjoyed watching her go through her little morning rituals: brushing her teeth, putting on lipstick, combing her hair – even watching her put on her socks made him smile like an idiot. Living with Cameron was turning him into a bit of a sap; but oddly enough, it didn't disturb him as much as it should.

At times, she'd catch him staring at her with a sort of wonder, and she'd give him a confused look and ask, "What?" But House always responded with a shake of his head, not yet able to put into her the words the way she made him feel. He hadn't felt this, well, happy in a long, long time – if he ever did at all. For the life of him, he couldn't recall if Stacy had made him feel like this; and honestly, he doubted it.

She made the pain in his leg dull into the back of his mind, so that the Vicodin no longer called to him. She arranged his clothes, so that he always wore something she liked on him. She insisted on him teaching her how to play piano, so that one day they would be able to play duets. But most of all, she never stopped loving him, so that he didn't have to be afraid of chasing her away or loving her in return.

_I think I'm going to have to marry her_, House thought idly as he got into his chair – then froze. _Where did that come from?_ House asked himself. He had been so caught up in his daydreaming about Cameron that somehow that idea snuck its way into his head. House was _not _the marrying kind. He had seen his parents' marriage, and it was a poor example. Even Wilson was proof that marriage was a flawed and almost meaningless convention. No, House did not believe in marriage. But Cameron did.

He could imagine her in a flowing white dress, walking down the aisle towards him with her face hidden behind a veil. A veil he'd gently pull back so that he could kiss her lips when they became man and wife. House inadvertently started fiddling with the ring finger on his left hand, feeling the phantom weight of a wedding ring.

It was too soon to think about this. Sure, she'd been working for him for years; but they had barely gotten together. In fact, she'd _just _moved in. And if his relationship to Stacy had taught him anything, it was to take things slow. But Cameron made him want to move fast and to go beyond any relationship he'd ever had. The woman had him thinking about weddings, for goodness sakes. The last time he'd seen a wedding dress, it'd been on some buxom babe with really heavy makeup in a badly acted porn movie. And this new vision of a wedding dress was a far cry from that.

However, House couldn't shake the image of Cameron in a white wedding dress from his mind. It was seriously freaking him out. House didn't doubt that she would marry him – some day. But deep down, he would always be the slightest bit afraid that it was because she saw him as some type of charity case. He had accused her of such on their "first date," and it still rung true for him. She'd married her first husband even when she knew he was dying. And no matter how badly House wanted to believe that it had been out of love, he couldn't help but be suspicious that it had been something else – something like her need to fix those who were damaged. Because regardless of the way House presented himself, he was uncharacteristically vulnerable when it came to relationships. And with Cameron, he often felt like he was baring his heart and soul – something he rarely (if ever) did with anyone else. And lucky for him, Cameron had repaid in kind, opening herself up to him in ways that made him feel like it was safe to do so.

House picked up the ball from his desk and started tossing it up into the air then catching it. He repeated this pattern as he contemplated what married life would be like with Cameron – not that he was seriously considering it. No, it was just him figuring out a puzzle – the most confusing puzzle of all: human relationships.

For one, he could crack jokes about her being a House as well and get some kind of kick from people confusing themselves over which House they were getting: the nice, sweet, female one or the misanthropic, sarcastic, male one. That would please him to no end, regardless of how juvenile it was.

There was also the side benefit of his mother not nagging him to settle down anymore. Although he didn't really show it, he deeply cared about his mother. And he knew that his mother would approve of his marrying Cameron without a doubt. They were alike in a way – being with men that didn't show their emotions often. Yes, House was sure that the two of them would get along just fine.

And on top of all that was House's inexplicable desire to make their relationship official. To have it recorded on paper that she was his. To have other men look at her finger and see _his_ ring on _her _finger – even if the ring was picked out with some help from Wilson. Call it some outdated sense of male pride or whatever you wanted to call it, but House wanted something to shove in other people's faces that said, "Look here. She's mine, and you can't have her." He knew it was childish, but he was a childish man at times. He didn't like sharing; and he wasn't blind. He had seen the way other men had looked at her (even a few women, but he didn't mind those appreciative glances as much) – even Chase still looked at her that way sometimes. Although he knew nothing would come of it and that Cameron often didn't notice herself, it still riled him up sometimes.

_No_, House thought to himself. _I'm not _seriously_ considering marrying Cameron. _Though in his heart, House knew otherwise.


End file.
